by G.B. Oliver
When ever I come across effective product copy, I have to share. It is a skill, but if you can tell your product’s benefits, create a need and convince the reader to buy, all in just a few sentences, you’ve done your job. Williams-Sonoma is great at doing all of these things, so I thought I would show you a few examples from their website.
Carving Board at Williams-Sonoma
Monogrammed Carving Board
Personalized with one carved initial, our board makes a welcomed gift for your favorite barbecue chef. Handsome enough to double as a serving platter, it’s crafted in Vermont of solid maple. $150
- Crafted from sustainably harvested North American maple, durable enough to withstand daily use yet gentle on knife edges.
- Deep perimeter well collects flavorful juices.
- Integral handles make the board easy to lift and carry.
- Doubles as an impressive presentation piece for turkeys and roasts.
- Made by the venerable J.K. Adams Co. of Vermont, specialists in finely made wooden kitchen wares.
- May be monogrammed with a single initial.
Why It Works: First of all, they have positioned it as a Carving board, not a Cutting board. So this is the big strong board you need for carving meat, not some whimpy board for chopping vegetables, and therefore justifies the high price tag. They have sold me on the features of it being solid maple (a strong wood), told me what that perimeter was for (who knew?), given me multiple uses as it doubles as a serving platter, and the fact that it can be monogrammed suddenly turns it into a gift!
Valentine’s Day Petit-Fours from Williams-Sonoma
Dragon Fly Cakes Valentine’s Day Petit-Fours
An exquisite treat for sharing on Valentine’s Day, our petits-fours are adorned with hand-cut hearts. Prepared for us by Dragonfly Cakes in Sausalito, California, each is hand made with three layers of light, moist sponge cake and three layers of buttercream, topped with a thin layer of marzipan and then draped in chocolate. Delightful with dessert wines, afternoon tea or after-dinner coffee, our assortment includes three flavors: Raspberry: Layered with raspberry jam and raspberry buttercream; Chocolate: Layered with chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream; Vanilla: layered with white chocolate ganache and vanilla buttercream. $45
- 12 petits fours (4 of each flavor); 10 oz. total.
- Shipped frozen.
- Made in USA.
- A Williams-Sonoma exclusive
Why It Works: They definitely described in detail what I am going to get taste-wise if I buy these petit-fours. They also remind us they are handmade (better quality), and the different ways to serve them in case we have never had petit-fours before. The words exclusive and exquisite, again, are to justify the higher price. If you’ve noticed that they do repeat features from the main paragraph in the bullet points, it is to cover off the fact that some people will only read the bullets.
Baked Loaf Pan from Williams-Sonoma
Baked Loaf Pan
We partnered with legendary New York sweet shop Baked NYC to create a ceramic pan that turns out perfectly tender quick breads – and goes from oven to table with panache. The stoneware’s dark exterior glaze absorbs heat quickly, and the clay retains its temperature for even baking and a golden finish. $43
- High-fired stoneware is exceptionally strong and ensures even heating for sweet or savory baking.
- Safe for oven or microwave use and fits our Breville countertop convection oven.
- Glazed with a chocolate exterior and a vibrant orange interior.
- Angled handles offer a steady grip.
- Will not absorb odors or flavors.
- Pair with one of our Baked NYC mixes to create a sweet gift.
- Dishwasher safe.
- 40-oz. cap.
- Interior: 8” x 4″ x 2 1/2″ deep; 10″ x 4 1/2″ x 3″ high overall.
- Made in China.
- A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
Why It Works: They have quickly answered any question I could have about a baking pan. The design of this loaf pan was overseen by a legendary bakery, so this is top of the line design. I can serve right from the pan it looks so good. Even I can’t screw up a recipe using this pan due to the clay allowing for even baking and a golden finish. Can I find a better pan out there? And this can also become a gift by simply throwing in one of their bake mixes (nice up-sell of their other products!).
So find the unique value in your products, show how you are the best out there, create a need and get them to buy!
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© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.
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Coastal Living Magazine Online has their own line of products that they sell, but they also act as a storefront for Wayfair, a large online home store.
This Old House‘s online magazine also seems to have a deal with Wayfair, and features their products for purchase directly from the Old House marketplace.
Better Home and Gardens Online has a really interesting storefront that reminds me of ShopStyle, showing products for sale from a variety of vendors such as Williams-Sonoma and Crate and Barrel. When you select the item, it takes you over to the retailer’s website, so you are not buying from Better Homes and Gardens, but they obviously have a referral/affiliate program, whereby they get paid for the click and the sale.
The wedding magazine, The Knot, has had an online store for years. They feature a variety of products that they say are mostly their own proprietary designs, but considering the large number of items they stock, I have to imagine they use some third party vendors.
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