Content marketing is still high on everyone’s agenda. The trick is to generate content that actually means something to readers and potential customers. There is always a temptation to look outside the company for content marketing ideas. But there are also great sources for ideas right inside your daily...
copywriting
Press release distribution
For a few months, I have been including press release distribution alongside the more usual services of copywriting, product naming and concept development. Combining the copywriting of press releases with the distribution makes sense, as there are editorial guidelines that need to be respected at the writing stage of...
Make Facebook reflect your values, not the other way round
Now that a huge number of companies are on Facebook, a whole generation of marketing departments, copywriters and social media practitioners are discovering the joys of creating content. When it comes to Facebook, of course, it is probably just as important to relay existing content as it is to...
The process of irritation by imitation
Anyone that runs a website knows how irritating spam can be. Since the early days of just posting links, the systems that spammers use have gotten increasingly sophisticated, aiming to imitate human speech (or writing) as closely as they can. Without having to write the actual garbage themselves, of...
Nike re-defines greatness
If you’re tired of watching CGI footballers and sportsmen bouncing balls across the neighbourhood/plane/planet, you are probably ready for Nike’s wonderful new ad (which I was not involved with, by the way – I’m simply celebrating beautiful work). It’s incredibly simple and, I’d venture to say, inspiring. It brings...
Belfius: 2 reasons this name is wrong
It’s not often that a brand name generates so much interest. Belgians woke up March 1 to discover that the retail branch of the troubled bank Dexia is now called Belfius. The reactions were instant and entirely predictable as people began looking for the hidden meaning. Jokes ranged from...
Are your communications aligned with your mission statement?
Coincidentally, I’ve worked on a number of corporate branding projects recently that threw up a similar problem. Although the brand statements and guidelines were developed with intelligence and insight, their implementation was haphazard at best. Put bluntly, the disconnect between the two is a disaster. Why spend so much...
Writing Christmas wishes with a wish
If you’re struggling to come up with an original idea for your Christmas wishes, I have a word of advice: don’t. Let’s not forget that Christmas and New Year wishes are a little opportunity to tell someone that you are thinking about them. This is one time when you...