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Get a group of direct marketers together and they will discuss the merits and demerits of any number of DM campaigns until the cows come home. But while there is always debate over the importance of targeting and of the visual impact of campaigns, we hear little on the importance of the copy. Yet a campaign without copy is rare indeed.

Copywriting's low profile raises the question of whether enough importance is given to it, both by agencies and clients. The launch of not-for-profit organisation, 26, formed last month with the objective of promoting good writing in marketing communications, and July's launch of the book 26 Compelling Letters by the DMA Creative Forum, seems to indicate that many in the industry feel it isn't.

Various reasons are bandied around to excuse copywriting's low profile on the DM agenda. One is that no one reads any more, so long copy is a waste of time. There's also a perception that there's no real craft to writing copy, so anyone can master it. But the reality is very different according to this month's Think Tank panelists.

In fact, they argue, it's the copy that makes a campaign. "There isn't one good sales person who would walk up to a client, hold up a picture and not say anything. It's all about the way we say things," says John Goddard, marketing director at M&G Investments, which has won awards for its long copy ads.

He also argues that copywriting is about more than just writing - it's about understanding your audience and the product or service you're selling.

"There are very, very few people who can write good copy," he continues. "And the reason is due to the preparation you have to do to understand the brand, product or service you're trying to communicate the benefits of, before you even pick up the pen."

Part of good copywriting is simply about grabbing the consumer's attention says Daren Kay, creative director at agency Tullo Marshall Warren, and editor of 26 Compelling Letters. He quotes advertising guru Howard Gossage : "Gossage said, 'People read what interests them. Sometimes it's an ad.' And this is so true. If you have this at the heart of everything you do, you're on the road to writing good copy."

If people aren't reading advertising, our panelists say, it's because it's poorly targeted or badly written. But the question they want answered is why this is so often the case? John Watson, founder of Watson Phillips Norman, says agencies have a responsibility to ensure their clients give them a good brief in the first place. "The client doesn't always know what will make copy work. It's only when you put the words on paper that it does or doesn't fly."

Understanding the product

A big part of getting it right, our panelists agree, is knowing your audience and speaking to them in a language they understand. "What makes a good copywriter?" asks Kay. "I was always told that you should go out of your way to know as many different types of people as possible. You have to get inside your target audience's head."

This can mean reading what you wouldn't usually read, and doing things you wouldn't otherwise do, as Goddard did when working at Procter & Gamble. "I worked on Pampers when I didn't have kids and in this situation you go to people who do, and ask them: Every time the baby needs changing, can I do it? You have to roll up your sleeves and find out what people are experiencing."

And this doesn't just apply to the copywriter, but to the client too. "With a past client," says Ed Prichard, creative director of agency McCann Relationship Marketing, "we'd end up in a situation where he'd say, 'well I showed it to my wife last night and she thinks ...' We were writing for farmers, but how could she have an objective farmer's point of view? These are the kinds of things you're fighting against."

Client egos can also hinder the production of good copy, believes Simon Kershaw, founding partner of creative consultancy Keevill Kershaw. "They want the copy to flatter them, and when this creeps in, they can start to lose sight of the objective."

Testing copy before it goes out can be a godsend, as Goddard illustrates: "On one of our M&G ads we said 'If you're late and you've missed your train, go and get a cappuccino, then come back and find out what's so special about our financial services'. When we tested it we then thought - how can we use the word cappuccino? Firstly, who is going to pay £2.75 for a coffee, and secondly, this has obviously been done by a stupid American because the target audience doesn't drink cappuccino in the UK, it drinks tea. So we changed it. These are the details that make someone smile, that make someone relate to what you're trying to say."

The importance of copy testing

Yet, despite our panelists firmly advocating testing, one of the biggest issues affecting copywriting is the sheer lack of testing that goes on. And the frustrating thing for those sitting around the Think Tank table is that testing is not valued by clients. "A client of ours is getting good response rates of 15 per cent, but we're sure they could do better," says Prichard. "We suggested testing copy, but the only way they'll do it is if we pay for it ourselves."

No testing also means minimum effort goes into making things work, which doesn't help to move the industry forward. "It drives everything down to the lowest common denominator - the known thing that worked well last time for me not to lose my job," argues Kershaw. "Rather than saying okay, we've got the banker, let's test some wild and wonderful things and see what happens. If you're relying on a banker all the time, you'll never get beyond that."

Watson blames this failure to test largely on agencies. "I wonder sometimes if we haven't got the message through that the difference between this copy and that copy could literally mean the difference between success and failure and therefore testing is important."

There's a nod of agreement from Stuart Palmer, marketing director at Traidcraft. "I don't think agencies market copywriting well enough," he says. "It's always the last thing on the list."

All of these issues, from lack of testing, to the failure to understand an audience, and the assumption that everyone can write good copy, clearly affect the success of copy and therefore of a campaign. So how can it be improved? Our panelists agree that attracting new talent and giving them proper training should be paramount.

But the challenge is getting over copywriting's image as something that's harder and less sexy than art direction. "The problem," says Prichard, "is finding young people who understand it and want to do it. Instead we get people who've gone to art college to do graphics, and then flipped a coin over who's going to do the copywriting."

An educated outlook

But while all this sounds like doom and gloom for copywriting, there is hope. "I think it is being rediscovered," says Kay. "With the popularity of reading, text messages, email, poetry and music lyrics, it's coming back. The guy or girl who wants to be a copywriter is really into it, their problem is they don't know where to find great examples, or the books for training." This was part of the reason behind the launch of 26 Compelling Letters, which aims to educate and inspire current copywriters and the next generation.

But this new wave of copywriters doesn't have to be specifically trained in the discipline, says Kay. "We've got people from university who were doing copy-based degrees, such as English and History. These are people who do a lot of written work. We've had enormous success with this. The key for us in recruiting new people is finding those who can write very well, but who can also think conceptually. I think we've found that our writers are passionate about copy."

Passion isn't always enough though. Our panelists agree that training of copywriters is vital, yet they have seen the title of trainee copywriter virtually disappear. Watson compares the amount of training given to other writing professions with the lack of it in copywriting. "If you try to write a piece of journalism ignoring the rules, you'll be sacked. But we don't do that. We accept the exact opposite sometimes when there ought to be a much stronger apprenticeship that says you want to write copy, fine, but you have to learn how to write first. I think the industry sometimes positively encourages rule-breaking just for the sake of being creative."

The debate turns to some of the dos and don'ts of copywriting. Something our panelists feel writers often forget is that they are selling. "When I read copy, what's often missing is the close," says Watson. "This is the reason many fail." The trick, he says, is to remember it's a sales pitch. Be upfront, then do what it takes to sell it. "It's about how people like to be sold to. Whether through images or detailed copy," adds Palmer.

No limit to copy length

"We have this fear in this country not only of selling, but that we shouldn't be sold to for more than 15 seconds," says Watson. "Copy is as long as it needs to be. If you're a good copywriter and understand your market, you will spend as long as necessary. I'll read 20 pages if it's good." Getting this through to clients can be a challenge though, says Kershaw. "I've had clients say 'it won't go onto the second page will it?' Well, it might - I don't know what it's going to take to get these people's interest."

Goddard perhaps sums it up best. "You do what it takes to sell. If you know your customer, you know where they are and where you want them to be, the thing that's going to bridge the gap is sometimes copy, sometimes visual, and sometimes they fit together."

What's clear is that the profile of copywriting needs raising. Palmer puts it to the table that maybe it's a task for agencies. He also suggests creating a guild of copywriters to help the cause.

At the end of the day, good copywriting comes down to the writer and client doing their homework. "Do your research, know your audience and bring together a cohesive argument," says Kershaw. That way the copy ought to be a winner every time.

Think Tank is sponsored by Conduit, the leading data intelligence experts. For more information contact Conduit on 020 8996 1515 or email sales@conduit.co.uk. You can also visit www.conduit.co.uk.

THE PANELIST LINE UP

ED PRICHARD, creative director, McCann Relationship Management

Prichard has over 16 years' experience working as a copywriter. He is involved in promoting copywriting and creativity in direct marketing with the Call to Action Group and the DMA.

JOHN GODDARD, marketing director, M&G Investments

From 1996-2000, Goddard worked at Procter & Gamble in Frankfurt. In 2000 he became UBS e-services marketing director in Switzerland and London before taking up his current role in March 2001.

SIMON KERSHAW, founding partner, Keevill Kershaw

Prior to founding Keevill Kershaw with Phil Keevill earlier this year, Kershaw was creative director at Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel. He is also chairman of the Direct Marketing Association's Creative Forum.

DAREN KAY, creative director, Tullo Marshall Warren

Kay has worked as a copywriter at Lowe Direct, WWAV Rapp Collins, Chapter One, Amherst and as creative partner at Junction. He has been a member of the DMA Creative Forum for five years.

JOHN WATSON, managing partner, Watson Phillips Norman

Ex-chief executive and founder of WWAV Rapp Collins, Watson is also senior partner in John Watson Partnership, chairman of Compton and Woodhouse, non-executive of Which?, and a trustee of the Institute of Direct Marketing.

STUART PALMER, marketing director, Traidcraft

Palmer joined Traidcraft in 1998 and became sales and marketing director in 2000. Prior to Traidcraft, Palmer worked with Mildmay Mission Hospital and was marketing director of a national property services company.