copy & content writing case study
CNN Money & Writing
Branded Content Writing for CNN
SmartCuts Creative has provided CNN Money Switzerland with a series of branded content pieces over the years. A good example of the copy and content writing we did for this subsidiary of CNN was in the scenarios we drafted for four videos mandated by the top watchmakers in Switzerland, along with the Jura Canton Tourist Board.
The concept was to blend interview-style input with a bit of savvy and fun storytelling to yield scripts that informed but also entertained. Of course the fundamental goal was actually to promote the watches and the region as a whole. With a bit of subtle copy and content writing around this series, we avoided the videos, or the overall product, from coming across as excessively marketing-oriented.
Unfortunately, the season, autumn, was not ideal and it was impossible to align CEO availability with moments of sunshine, so a lot of the exterior shots in the videos we produced are a bit grey. The drone videographer was particularly frustrated as these were great opportunities to bring back quality footage.
Nevertheless, the videos, built on the copy and content writing we did for this mission, was well received by Zenith, Longines, Swatch and Omega, as well as CNN and Jura’s tourism office.
Copy & content writing for the International Labour Organization
Storytelling for ILO
Human interest stories
SmartCuts Creative was mandated by ILO’s SOCPRO department (Social Protection Department) to produce articles to showcase human interest stories in various countries, including Ethiopia and Cambodia.
Read the article from Ethiopia
We were also in charge of the photography on location, as well as sourcing videographers to shoot interviews and b-roll for the edit we then did in Switzerland. The goal was to show and explain how the UN agency had dealt with the impact of Covid-19 on workers in the supply chain around the world.
ILO also mandated SmartCuts for copy and content writing on social pension reform, as well as an animated video explainer. The goal was for the copy to come out well when spoken to accompany animation. The content had to be creative and compelling, otherwise we would have lost viewers and readers quickly.
Read the article from Cambodia
At SmartCuts Creative, we have on staff a number of ex-journalists with decades of experience writing tight copy to communicate clearly and concisely. Our collaboration with ILO on this ambitious project was a big success, and ILO has since been coming back to us regularly for copy and content writing.
Copy & Content Writing for WHO
Content Writing for the World Health Organization
Content Writing for Social Media
The World Health Organization has been reaching out to SmartCuts for all manner of creative communications services since 2016. Among these is copy and content writing.
In the context of a campaign to eradicate tuberculosis, we wrote content for WHO, both for social media and web publishing. This copy and content writing was also accompanied by video and animation production, of course. The advantage of working with one partner was not lost on WHO. Graphics, copy and other content created can much more easily and cost-effectively be integrated to make sure a campaign retains a cohesive look and feel. This is key to proper creative communications. For WHO we have also helped write up copy for interviews, and then shot and edited these for video posts to the web and social media. As marketing-driven copywriters, we don’t believe in content for content’s sake.
We scrutinize everything and make sure your ROI is well cared for. As a non-profit organization, WHO appreciates this bang for its buck when working with SmartCuts.
Copy & Content Writing for ICI
Creating content for the International Cocoa Initiative
Storytelling
The International Cocoa Initiative wanted content that would really stand out, not just with the aim of impressing donors and stakeholders in the industrialized north, but also of catching on with local Africans concerned.
The mission the NGO assigned to SmartCuts was to begin with copy and content writing that would bring home various key messages around child labor on cocoa farms. But we all knew the written word would not have sufficient impact, so this copy also had to be accompanied by a video series.
To stay generic, to fit into a tight budget and timeline, we chose animation. The series, and copy that went along with it, was a big success, both with stakeholders, local Ghanaians and people from Côte d’Ivoire. This was true storytelling in the show rather than tell vein, which worked far better, particularly with local villagers, than any explainer video we could have made.
We also supported ICI with pamphlets, flyers and copy and content writing for their website. This campaign is still running in western Africa, and it has helped countless families make the right choices when it comes to education, women’s rights, and child labor. ICI has since been a regular client of SmartCuts’, and we are proud of the work we do together for a good cause.
Q&A on Copy & Content Writing
Why copy & content writing?
Brand development and recognition is key, especially if you want to grow or scale your business. Your brand position is communicated by the content you publish and how it differentiates your brand from its competitors. Content writing, specifically, is intended to engage your audience by educating and entertaining them. It is constructed to provide value to targeted readers by focusing on relevant topics, providing high-quality applicable information, and is presented in attractive and easily digestible formats. Examples of content writing include blog posts, tutorials, and news articles highlighting your brand, among others.
Consistent publication of content writing can expand your brand’s recognition and strengthen the relationship of your brand with its target audience. In contrast, copywriting is used in strategic media campaigns and is defined specifically by its aim to persuade. Copywriting is used when you need to persuasively present a call to action, such as to buy a product or make a donation. Examples can be found in advertisements, sales emails, website product descriptions, and more recently, advertising in the digital audio space by sponsoring podcasts.
Successful copywriting can result in a “viral” sharing of your content through social media and word of mouth, creating a windfall of new ears and eyes aware of your brand. Now that people are listening, what are you going to say to them? Professional copy and content writers bank on this success and have strategies ready to take advantage of this momentum to boost your brand‘s visibility in the marketplace.
Why with SmartCuts?
SmartCuts Creative has grown from a video and animation production team to a creative communications agency that generates multimedia content from conception to release. Both new and longstanding clients continually need copy and content writing to grow and maintain their brand’s visibility. By combining copy and content writing with concept development, campaign strategy, and your brand’s visual identity, SmartCuts Creative will produce concise messaging that positions you above your competitors. There is tremendous added value when you can manage all your brand’s outsourced content in one place.
It is more efficient to produce content with a creative team familiar with your brand. Consecutive strategic media campaigns can be planned and released, setting your brand up for long-term success. It has been proven that producing a consistent quantity of high-quality written and visual content will grow your brand’s visibility. SmartCuts Creative is ready to prove this outcome by producing copy and content writing that position’s your brand as an undeniable competitor in the media landscape.
How does it work?
SmartCuts Creative creates copy and content writing for clients based on data and experience. From our first meeting, outlining your copy and content writing project goals, your brand’s success is our central focus. We can manage all of your brand’s content and plan, produce, and publish media following a strategic timeline. Storyboards, draft copy, and rough edits will give you ample opportunity to provide feedback. SmartCuts Creative targets your brand’s demographic on their preferred media platforms and with content formatted to be experienced on their most-used media delivery devices.
Precise data-based marketing, including copy and content writing, avoids wasting time and money and optimizes your ROI. Smart entrepreneurs know that long-term brand development is central to scaling a business in all sectors. Continuous content publication, communicating with your target market, is the foundation of that brand development.
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