On February 18, 2025, Professor Nancy LaFever visited the Invention Lab (SAC 302) to lead a presentation and discussion on branding and copywriting. Drawing from her experience as a copywriter at UL Solutions during her gap year from teaching, LaFever shared insights with an audience of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members alike.
LaFever began by introducing the concept of organizational core competencies—the unique skills and abilities that drive a company’s success. She guided attendees through an exercise in identifying the core competencies of major companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Nike. From there, she encouraged participants to analyze DePaul’s core competencies, and then, finally, examine themselves.
Personal Branding and the Elevator Pitch
LaFever emphasized that recognizing one’s own core competencies is essential for job seekers looking to craft a strong personal brand. This self-awareness directly informs how applicants position themselves in the job market, particularly in crafting a compelling elevator pitch—a one-minute response to the common interview question, “Tell me about yourself.”
She broke the elevator pitch into four key components:
- Who am I?
- What do I offer?
- What are my major accomplishments?
- What am I looking for in a job?
When answering part four, LaFever advised against getting “too locked into job titles, because they change from one organization to another.” Instead, she recommended applicants emphasize the kind of work they want to do and why they are excited to do it.
She also introduced a lesser known but useful tool for job seekers: the handbill. A handbill is a concise, visually appealing document that summarizes an applicant’s elevator pitch. It can be given to employers at networking events to leave a lasting impression.
Copywriting Essentials
Transitioning from personal branding to professional writing, LaFever offered concrete advice on effective copywriting beyond simply that copywriters should be clear, concise, and compelling.
She provided practical guidelines for structuring content, particularly for digital marketing:
- Keep headlines under 70 characters.
- Limit introductory text to 150 characters to prevent key messages from being truncated.
LaFever shared that during her time at UL Solutions, she frequently worked on social media ads, sell sheets, flyers, brochures, landing pages, and ebooks—core formats in a copywriter’s repertoire. Given the fast-paced nature of corporate copywriting, she stressed the importance of strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, as well as familiarity with style guides like Associated Press (AP).
Addressing Consumer Needs and AI in Copywriting
Knowing pain points, the parts of a process that cause problems for consumers, and how to address them through writing is another core bit of advice from LaFever. Analyzing a sell sheet she made for UL Solutions, LaFever examined how she addressed pain points in a way that appealed to the consumers’ unique audience characteristics. She also noted that the best situations at work were when she collaborated with the graphic designer to help the text flow seamlessly onto the document.
When asked about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in copywriting, LaFever acknowledged that companies are not shying away from AI. However, she cautioned that AI should be treated as a tool to enhance workflow, not as a replacement for human creativity and strategic thinking.
Final Advice for Job Seekers
As the discussion wrapped up, LaFever offered a final piece of advice: research the company culture before applying for a job. Understanding a company’s values and work environment helps applicants position themselves effectively and assess whether the role is a good fit for them.
Key Takeaway
Through her hour-long presentation and discussion, Professor Nancy LaFever not only provided insights into branding and copywriting but also challenged attendees to think about how to brand themselves.
For more information on upcoming events hosted by the WRD department, be sure to check out the Department News & Events page on the WRD Blog!