Brand Agony

Dogs are engaging. Fish tacos are engaging. Nice new clothes are engaging too. But John's B2B content for his electronics manufacturing business? Not so much.In this episode, Alan, Chris and Helen dismantle the argument that some businesses are too boring to get much in the way of engagement on social. We talk about picking your battles, leading with value and proving the brand story into life.Share your agonies (and anything else)Got a brand agony you'd like us to answer? Send an email to po...

Writing your content is hard enough when you've got a full team of in-house people – or an ample budget to bring in outside help.But what if you need to launch a new website in the middle of redundancies and other cost-cutting?We won't dwell on the old chestnut that marketing spend is an investment, not a cost – it's a cliché because it's true. And we won't bleat on about reducing the website's scope – because you've already thought of that. Instead, we ask how you can do more with less, figu...

There are lots of reasons to boost the writing skills of your in-house team. Perhaps your tone of voice isn't consistent – or you want to stop the same mistakes happening time and again. Maybe you're sick of paying external copywriters. (The very thought.)In this Little Agony, we take a look at how to build a course that leads to lasting improvements in copywriting quality. We cover preparation, pitfalls, formats and follow-up.We're done and gone faster than any pointless warm-up exercise you...

How far should you push your brand language? Is it too much to make the buttons in your application process unmistakably 'you'? Or is it better to make things nice and simple – but risk blending into the competition?In this episode, Alan, Chris and Helen talk about UX (user experience) copywriting, from so-called micro copy and contextual help, through to headings and other labels. All to help one listener strike a better balance between brand and usability. Share your agonies (and anyth...

Marketing professionals love their language – and their labels.But all too often, it can be hard to cut through the jargon and focus on what will make a difference. What's exactly is a mission statement? More to the point, does it really matter?In this episode, Alan, Siân and Helen talk about how to regain your focus when you're going through a branding exercise, and cut through all the jargon and negativity that can sometimes get in the way. (And yes, there's still room at the table for our ...

First, robots assembled our cars – now they're about to drive them. Next up, artificial intelligence is coming for the lawyers, accountants – and copywriters.So is now a terrible time to start a career in copywriting? Or is technology more of an opportunity than a threat? In this episode, Alan, Siân and Chris talk about what's possible right now – and where we think the industry will go as the technology gets better. (And all without using the phrase 'omnipotent robot overlords'.)Share ...

It's emphatic – everyone in the team loves your new value proposition. The boss thinks you've finally nailed the offer. The sales team is nodding along in unison. Heck, even the people who won't have to use it reckon it's a job well done.But what next? How do you take a value proposition and put it to work?In this episode, Alan, Siân and Helen explore why it can be hard to transform it into messaging – and offer some advice for getting the Big Unifying Idea out of the brand manual and out int...

What is it that turns a merely bad tone of voice into a truly obnoxious one? That's what Chis and Alan set out to explore in this Little Agony – an episode that's just ever-so-slightly leaner and hungrier than usual.Somehow, we also manage to talk about death, unicorns and tweeds. All in the name of brand, you understand – and the solemn task of letting you know about our just-published Terrible Tone of Voice Playbook. Available from all good browsers, etc.Share your agonies (and anything els...

Messaging gets muddled when the value proposition is left to chance.But what is it? What's it designed to do? And where's the, ahem, value, in creating one in the first place?In this episode, Alan, Siân and Helen chew the value proposition fat – dispelling some myths (the value prop isn't a mission or vision statement), and explaining how to smuggle one past a reluctant boss.Share your agonies (and anything else)Got a brand agony you'd like us to answer? Send an email to [email protected]...

You've got a whopper of a project you need to deliver in a hurry. It needs words. Lots and lots of well-written words.Should you call every freelance copywriter in town and beg for a slot in their schedule? Perhaps hit up a content agency instead? Or maybe you could bring the whole project in-house – and finally build that content team you've been talking about?In this episode, Alan, Siân, Chris and Helen find a way through the complexities – and figure out when freelancers are the best optio...