Wordsmith In The Wild

It's not enough that corporations communicate

2007-11-26T09:49:00.002+08:00

I just read Guy Kawasaki's "Art of the Start." If you don't know him, he's the guy that helped create the Apple cult. If you haven't read it, I suggest you do. Just click the title or click here. It's basically how to start a business but the one that struck a cord in me was when he said that businesses should make meaning. He said:

Meaning is not about money, power, or prestige. It's not even about creating a fun place to work. Among the meanings of "meaning" are to

* Make the world a better place.
* Increase the quality of life.
* Right a terrible wrong.
* Prevent the end of something good.

Hmmm...I wonder how many corporations today make meaning.

I wonder how many fashion brands make the world a better place for their workers in poor countries.

I wonder how many energy companies improve the quality of the air we breathe.

I wonder how many snack food companies really contribute to the well-being of my kids.

And I'm sure you're wondering why I'm raising the issue in a writing blog.

The American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

How true. And exactly the point of this post. We know that many companies spend millions of dollars on feel good advertising and PR. We also know that many of these companies dump toxic waste in our rivers and oceans, produce products under deplorable, inhuman conditions, bribe government officials, the list goes on. If you want to read more about these companies, visit CorpWatch.

What ever happened to what our mothers said to us about matching words with deeds?

Companies spend millions to say "we care" and they don't do anything about our complaints. Companies say "we're responsible" and then spill tons of oil in our waters. Companies say "we want your children to enjoy" and mix toxic substances in their toys.

Was it David Ogilvy who said that bad advertising can unsell a product? Well, let me rephrase that in the light of the information tempest we're experiencing today: even good advertising and PR can unsell a company if its words do not match its deeds.

Add to that: people today are looking for companies that make meaning.

And they will Google and watch. And protest in their blogs.

Is your company making any meaning?

Toyota isn't the only one guilty of exaggerated copy

2007-11-23T10:47:00.001+08:00

The original post from Marketing Blurb is here: "Toyota's Exaggerated Copywriting."

We've all been guilty of it one time or another. And not only of exaggerated copy but meaningless copy as well. C'mon, do you really think consumers today spend on products or services just because someone wrote: best solutions, unmatched legacy, excellent, state-of-the-art technology (OMG!), priceless and some other similar hollow phrases and promises?

Advertising legend David Ogilvy once said: "The consumer is your wife."

Simply put, your consumer is not a moron. She may be more intelligent than you are for all you know.

And she is very, very advertising-weary.

A client once showed me a piece of copy he wrote for a product his company was set to launched. (Yes, there are marketing guys who want to be copywriters.) When I read the part, "Enjoy exciting benefits," I naturally asked him what are the benefits? (Silence.)

This kind of copy, without any significant evidence, is just a waste of company resources. Nobody buys anymore on the basis of what you -- the manufacturer, the marketing boss, the product manager, the agency copywriter -- said. People are demanding for proofs.

When was the last we bought something because of the copy in the advertising material? I bet that was a long, long time ago, if ever. Most likely, nowadays, aside from any form of advertising we're assaulted with we go to the web looking for reviews, forums, satisfied/unsatisfied users; we read blogs; or ask people who know.

Yes, that cliché "proof of the pudding is in the eating," is what we in this profession are now up against.

I can rant on and on and on but I will stop now. If you want to know more, here's a list of must-read books: David Ogilvy's Confessions of an Advertising Man, Ogilvy on Advertising, The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with Masters of the Craft: David Ogilvy, William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, Rosser Reeves or search here Copywriting and Advertising Books Worth Reading.

10 Million Copywriting Tips

2007-11-22T17:17:00.002+08:00

Want some quick copywriting tips? Just Google the word "copywriting." And in a fraction of a second you have 10.6 million instant recommendations on how you can best write that single piece of brochure or web advertising copy.

I'm not kidding. Try it.

(Told you so.)

Now while you're trying to comprehend the enormity of the information that's suddenly staring you, why not add this blog. That's 10,600,001 tips.

It's a blessing and a curse, actually.

And it's the same reason I've been postponing the publication of this blog. The thought of it not being perfect, at least from where I'm typing, kept hounding me. Until now.

"Enough!" I said to myself. "You're not going to make it perfect. No blog's perfect. Or any website for that matter. Just do it."

"And be honest while you're at it."

"Make it personal."

"Talk about the interest and problems of your readers, not yours."

"Make it simple."

"And short."

Well, guess what. I followed my advice that's why you're reading this. Now back to the subject of copywriting. Just follow the advice I gave to myself and you'll also be on your way.

Simple, isn't it. Okay, I know it's not. Because the landscape of communicating with one another has radically changed. But that's another topic.