Welcome to the Writers blog

Here’s where we get to write to our own brief. Where we cast a critical, humorous or observant eye over what’s going on in our world – and the wider world around us.

All copywriting-related, you understand.

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Strapline delivery solutions

There are so many ropey corporate straplines, missions and visions around, that I decided to establish some criteria for judging the worst ones.

I feel that to be the worst of the worst, a strapline must pass three basic tests:

  1. It doesn’t say what the organisation does.
  2. When translated into normal English, it is either meaningless, or too trite to repeat.
  3. It is constructed entirely from lame management buzzwords.

So I was delighted recently to walk past the local offices of a large firm who describe themselves as the Outcome Delivery Partner.  (more…)

Need a copy re-boot?

If the New Year has you thinking about ways to shake the cobwebs off your copy or springclean your website, here’s an easy way to kickstart the process yourself.

I’ve written a four week copy bootcamp as a guest blogger for our good friends at SavvyG, a Sydney-based marketing consultancy focused on small business. So if you just need a quick jolt of sensible advice and a few useful tools to get you on your way, this might be the ticket.

 

Pop over to the SavvyG blog for Week 1: Sharpen your pitch. Can you find a new way to bring your benefits to life?

Best of all, these tips will work even when a) it’s not summer and b) you’re not a small business.

Happy writing!

 

 

Awwww shucks

It’s always nice to be recognised. So when we found out the website we wrote for Aussie BBQ brand Everdure’s new gas charcoal grill eChurrasco made the ‘site of the day’ on awwwawards.com, we were quite chuffed.

 

Of course, kudos goes to our clever friends at Lash Creative for making this interactive site work, but we also had great fun developing the tone, telling a story and dreaming about the summer BBQ season.

Check out the eChurrsaco site for the full grilling hero experience.

Writing? Try it with your eyes shut.

Things will look different in the morning. Very true, on most days. I don’t know why, but sleeping seems to change your perceptions of things: when you wake up, you see them differently. (more…)

Find your noble purpose

I recently came across a purpose statement that almost took my breath away with its simplicity and (dare I say) poetry:

We invent the future of flight

We lift people up

And bring them home safely

Then, a few days later, I was at a business breakfast and the ‘noble purpose’ came up in conversation.

Apparently in leadership circles it’s no longer enough to have a mission statement. A Noble Purpose will really get you places. It makes your staff feel much better about what they do every day.

Plus, a really good noble purpose identifies the things you do that have value for customers, and by focusing on that (instead of increasing shareholder dividends, for example) you might just become more successful.

Yes, it all sounds a bit lofty. However, that statement (which is for GE Aviation if you’ve been trying to guess) is a pretty good example of a noble purpose. It’s inspiring for staff, and the words ‘jet engine’ get no mention – because what their customers are actually buying is the confidence of knowing their planes will take off and land safely.

If you’re struggling to define your noble purpose, a copywriter can help you articulate it. And the best way to start is by asking your customers.

For example, I regularly write case studies for an Australian agricultural technology company. If you ask them what they sell, they would talk about ‘remote monitoring and automation equipment.’ But when I interview their customers, they talk about ‘peace of mind.’

They describe how they no longer have the heartache of losing cattle because the pump broke down on a trough 200km away, and they can now sleep at night because they don’t have to go out at 3am to open the irrigation gates.

Stories like these can help you define your noble purpose.

However, there’s a catch, because I have a sneaking suspicion the typical noble purpose will end up gathering dust on a shelf. You still have to fulfil your noble promise.

So, if you’re a life insurance company selling ‘protection for the people you love’ or a supermarket selling ‘the ability to plan and make nutritious family meals’, that’s fantastic. I’ll be even more inspired when I see it in action.