#headlines

#headlines

Rare indeed is the headline-and-dek combo worth noticing, or caring about. In many publications these aren't even written by the same person who wrote the actual blog; at any rate they're many hundreds or thousands of words shorter than the blog itself. Caring about the headline and dek is to some extent like close-reading the movie poster inside the multiplex. Probably it's better to just go inside the theater and watch the movie.

You know you've got a great idea when it could double as an unforgettable headline. My team has long applied this "headline test" to make sure concepts stand strong on their own. The question is simple: Can you distill your creative notions into a compelling five-to-seven-word headline? If yes, you've got something that not only resonates but sticks. Traditionally, this was an internal exercise.