Gobbledygook is bad for business. Long-winded, complex sentences will cost you money, time – and customers, a conference on plain English in Dublin heard last week. Plain English expert Dr Deborah Bosley has even suggested that the mortgage crisis in the US might not have happened if banks had used clearer language. Speaking at last week’s 10th International Plain Conference in Dublin, she said financial institutions and big organisations often … Read More →
If you want to know why tone of voice really matters, consider this experience from Harriet Cummings. “The other day I emailed my husband at work to check in on what was for dinner. His response? ‘To ensure optimal nutrients, I’m going to prepare a ground Bos taurus paired with Peruvian onion circles, blanched lettuce, and thick-cut Sus scrofa domesticus on a brioche.’” It might seem funny, but Clear Ink CEO Margaret E. … Read More →
The Irish inspiration for the one of the world’s most famous ads Inspiration comes from the strangest places. Did you know that I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke was inspired by a stopover at Shannon airport? Over 40 years ago, Bill Backer, Coca-Cola’s advertising guru was flying to England when his plane was diverted to Shannon due to the bad weather. He describes how the following day the … Read More →
Price and quality are not enough If you think branding is a fussy extra, think again. In today’s global market place, price and quality are no longer enough to ensure profit and sustain success. Branding has become the main way for companies to gain the attention of customers, consumers and the trade. In fact, brands are now the main differentiator when it comes to driving profit margins. Brands lead to … Read More →
Brand tone of voice is the way you speak to customers in all of your verbal and written communications, says founder and CEO of Clear Ink Margaret E. Ward Read More →
So what has brand journalism got to do your bottom line? A lot, actually, if you know how to master it. However, most businesses don’t. According to digital marketer Ron Sela, the vast majority of companies write to attract a vast audience but ignore other aspects of content marketing. Engage your audience To make brand journalism work for your business, the first step is to identify your audience. Once you’ve done … Read More →
Find your mojo to boost business If you ever wondered how your smartphone can help boost business, take note of this. A film that wowed audiences at the Sundance festival www.sundance.org was filmed on an iPhone 5s. An iPhone can do all the work Tangerine, an off-beat film about two transgender women in LA, breaks all the rules. It has no Hollywood stars, no high-tech camera work and no massive … Read More →
How to find your brand’s voice Brands that communicate successfully are successful brands. That’s according to Melissa Lafsky of content strategists Contently. But just how can you make your brand stand out? First of all, know what it is. Philosopher Alain de Botton provides this definition: “Essentially a brand is a constellation of qualities, it is a personality in the material realm.” www.thebookoflife.org/what-is-a-good-brand/ What makes a great brand? A good … Read More →
We’ve had 15 years of practice, but we are still writing very bad emails. Watch out for those annoying salutations and cheesy sign-offs. Don’t start your mails with the words ‘hi’, ‘hey’, ‘all’. You’ll raise hackles straight away. Beware of cheesy sign-offs, too. Don’t pile on the pleasantries. Kind regards or best wishes are fine, but don’t use more than one sign-off. It’s overkill. Dos and don’ts of writing effective … Read More →
Do you want to see what brand actions captured the imagination in 2014? Here are the top ten creative brand expressions of last year. Many didn’t even air on TV, which shows the increasing supremacy of the web as a brand-building tool. Without a doubt, ‘#LikeAGirl’ was our favourite. http://mobile.blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/12/09/youtubes-most-popular-ads-of-2014/
