Not all brands belong in the Super Bowl

It’s like the crescendo that didn’t happen. You’re watching the Super Bowl and a commercial break begins. An inspiring and audacious 60-second car commercial is followed by an instant classic 30-second beer commercial that’s followed by something that can only be described as a 30-second dud. No one knows the advertiser and no one remembers the advertiser. The commercial just sucked the air out of the room.

It’s a head scratcher

Year after year, you can count on at least one Super Bowl commercial that’s anything but super. A company decides to raid the party and try to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, those who recall their name the morning after, wish they didn’t.

Some brands are ill-suited for the big stage.

It’s not their time. It’s not their audience. Their product or service is too niche, too specialized and not appropriate for the Super Bowl.

It’s an ego trip

Advertising during the Super Bowl should be part of a vision and clear-cut strategy. Newcomers to the Super Bowl stage need to check their ego at the door and make certain they are paying to promote their brand on one of professional sport’s biggest platforms because it is without question the next logical step for the business. The rationale must be bullet proof and the ROI significant.

It’s a blockbuster

If a company does buy into the Super Bowl extravaganza, they must do so in a big way. The advertisement, while staying true to the brand personality, value proposition and key messages, has to make a bold statement. That doesn’t mean it needs to be a multi-million dollar production. The commercial must possess a uniqueness, a brilliance, a clarity of message and a beauty that sears it into the viewer’s brain.

If the advertisement doesn’t motivate the masses to instantly light up Twitter with gushing comments; if it isn’t getting rave reviews around the water cooler at the office the next day; if ad critics aren’t writing accolades about it in blogs and Super Bowl commercial rollups, then it most likely failed.

Chrysler delivered a blockbuster in 2011. The company showed everyone that a commercial with a vision and a powerful message can inspire not only customers, but employees, dealers, suppliers, an entire city and even a nation.

Now that’s a crescendo.

LiveJournal Tags: Super Bowl commercials,Chrysler,commercials,television advertising,tv commercial,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,copywriter,blogger

The Super Bowl of ads

It’s Super Bowl week and there is as much anticipation for the advertisements as there is for the game. The pre-game hype is building to a fevered pitch. I love it! I live for televisions commercials, as some of you will recall from a recent blog post.

I know there are websites with most of the commercials already posted for viewing, but I want to get the event experience. I’ve paid scant attention to the web headlines and the social media yap. I know there’s a commercial based on the 1986 movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, starring Matthew Broderick, but I have no idea who the advertiser is or the storyline. I loved the movie, so I have high expectations that the commercial will enhance the legacy.

The Good

We’ve all seen some epic commercials over the years. At the top of most critic’s list you will undoubtedly find the 1984 Apple Macintosh commercial. Also on the list, the 1979 Coca-Cola commercial with the boy and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle and future Pro Football Hall of Fame member “Mean” Joe Greene. It certainly struck a powerful chord that still resonates 33 years later.

The Bad

But some also become the hot topic of conversation around the water cooler for the wrong reasons. Think HomeAway's Test Baby commercial in 2011.

The What?!

Other’s just make you scratch you head and think “Really?” I put the 1995 Budweiser frogs commercial in that category.

I will be parked on the sofa with my laptop, documenting my reactions to each and every commercial. Like anyone else, I adore 30- and 60-second theater laced with arresting cinematography, stunning visuals and a moving soundtrack, but I’m looking for the ads that are expertly written.

For me, it’s all about the words. After all, I’m a copywriter.

LiveJournal Tags: Super Bowl commercials,Ferris Bueller's Day Off,Matthew Broderick,1984 Apple Macintosh commercial,1979 Coca-Cola Mean Joe Green commercial,HomeAway Test Bay,Budweiser frogs,commercials,television advertising,tv commercial,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,copywriter,blogger

Brand separation anxiety

Would it be okay with you if you didn’t hear from your brand for a few days? Would you be upset if she didn’t show up on Facebook, was absent from your Google+ feed, didn’t send a Tweet, wasn’t a storyline in LinkedIn, and skipped answering a question in Quora for a spell?

Could you survive it?

Could your relationship with your brand survive it?

Would you still Like her? Would you +1 her the next time she appeared in your feed? Would you Favorite the next 140 character message she flew? And would you upvote a reply to a vexing inquiry?

In today’s hyper-connected social world, could you stand to be disconnected from the one you love online, just for a day? Or two? Or three?

LiveJournal Tags: brand,brand management,brand steward,brand relationship,social media,Facebook,Google+,LinkedIn,Twitter,Quora,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

The new JCP is a scream

I just saw the new JC Penney television commercial and I hate it. OMG, the screaming is over the top. It’s so annoying it makes me want to scream.

While I’m writing this, the television is on and the remote is within reach. When the commercial runs again, I won’t be able to move fast enough to push mute.

Enough Is Enough

One, two, or maybe three screaming idiots drives the point home, but 30 seconds of almost non-stop ear-piercing shrieking put me so on edge I nearly lit my hair on fire to create a distraction.

Seriously! Enough is enough…stop the screaming already.

This passed the focus group tests? Who is their target audience? Is this the new-to-the-22nd power JC Penney? Oh, excuse me, the new JCP.

The Brand Acronym

Just what we need, another company brand known only by meaningless letters of the alphabet. So, do we get to choose what the three letters stand for?

Just Can’t Please, Just Can’t Profit, Just Cancel Purchase…

Hey, this is fun. In fact, it’s a scream.

LiveJournal Tags: JC Penney,JCP,Enough. Is. Enough.,screaming,re-branding,brand acronym,brand advertising,brand affinity,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

Branding and societal norms

Should brands reflect societal norms? Should brands influence societal norms? Can they do both? Or neither? Can brands simply exist?

These are fascinating questions that are not so quickly and easily answered. There are an abundance of factors and variables to consider. Some are universal, while others depend on the place, product and target market.

For example, brand managers for firearms (guns) products have much greater responsibility than their counterparts in other industries. They must be much more in tune with societal norms everywhere their products are sold. The cultural mindset for gun ownership is much different in the State of Texas as compared to the States of Delaware, Ohio and Hawaii. Market your guns on other continents and the disparity is even greater. Think Singapore vs. Australia and you understand that massive challenge global brand stewards face.

This is a rich topic with many layers and I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’m very interested in hearing what experienced brand experts have to say. Perhaps I’ll pose my questions on Quora and see how some brand strategists and managers reply.

Stay tuned.

"A brand is a living entity - and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures" - Michael Eisner, CEO Disney

Of course, as always, feel free to share your thoughts in the Comment box.

LiveJournal Tags: brand strategist,societal norms,brand influence,brand advertising,brand affinity,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

Shock value devalues brands

A recent blog by John Coleman titled 7 Ways Daring Brands Walk The Line published in Fast Company opens with a discussion on how desensitized we are today, in large part due to the raw content that is available real-time, anytime on the Internet.

“We want to have new experiences and see things that surprise, inspire, or yes, even shock us a little.”

True, we want to be entertained and we turn to the entertainment professions to fulfill this desire. Satellite and cable television. Cinema. Live theatre. Stand-up comedy. These are venues where we expect to be titillated.

Shock to educate

I don’t mind brand stories and interactions that surprise and inspire me, but do we need brands to shock us? To push the envelop? In some cases, when it comes to changing attitudes and biases, the answer is an unequivocal and resounding yes.

But that tends to be the exception. For most consumers brands, shock value devalues the product or service. It is a move of desperation or the choice of brand team that lacks creativity. It won’t engender affection or enhance customer loyalty.

Educate to differentiate

Know your market, understand their needs, position and differentiate your product or service from the competition, and tell your story in an authentic, honest and memorable way. If it’s entertaining, too, that’s icing on the cake.

"A brand that captures your mind gains behavior. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment."  - Jeffrey Sinclair, Brand Strategist

I encourage you to read the blog. It is well thought out and includes links to a numbers of brilliant advertising videos for national brands you’ll certainly recognize. These commercials are very entertaining and tasteful. A couple may be a bit daring, but I don’t see shock anywhere.

But then, maybe I’m too desensitized.

Thanks Internet!

LiveJournal Tags: Fast Company,John Coleman,Jeffrey Sinclair,brand strategist,shock value,brand index,brand advertising,brand affinity,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

A brand old saying

I’ve never agreed with the saying “Any publicity is good publicity.”

That’s nonsense.

Stewards of corporate and product brands must recognize the incredible risk they assume should they give the saying credence.

Do you think BP subscribes to this tenet? No. They are in image repair mode and are spending tens of billions of dollars to mend the damage to their corporate brand. Beyond the cleanup and research funds and damages they’ve paid to States and businesses affected by their oil spill, BP is advertising on behalf of the tourism industry to restore public faith in the safety and cleanliness of the beaches and seafood products from the Gulf. They’ve also developed a low-key publicity campaign touting their efforts. They are tastefully done and seem to be generating positive publicity.

Do you think Carnival Corporation is thrilled with the publicity surrounding the Costa Concordia disaster? Of course not. They will probably be following BP’s playbook (if they are wise) to navigate this catastrophe and hopefully become stronger in the long term.

Clearly these are extreme examples, but when you make a blanket and sweeping statement, there are no exceptions.

Consistency is key

Brand managers need to stick with what got them there, so to speak. There’s no reason to change course. In an increasingly transparent world, where everything a company does is vetted by a cynical public and everything its executives utter is dissected, analyzed and critiqued by experts and fools alike, remaining consistent and true to your core values will be rewarded.

"Your brand is created out of customer contact and the experience your customers have of you."  - Scott Talgo, Brand Strategist

Consumer loyalty is based on a series of consistent interactions. We take comfort in being associated with a particular brand that represents a set of values that line up with ours. Brands that stray from the norm and indulge in something that isn’t congruent with their reputation risk a backlash. A loss in consumer confidence weakens the link that binds a customer.

Stay the course

Why open the door to the competition? You know they are watching your every move and your every spoken word. They will exploit any misstep. Don’t give them the opportunity.

A better saying

If you need to adhere to a saying as a guide, I suggest “Be true to your school.” Any questions?

LiveJournal Tags: corporate brand,mission statement,company values,product brand,brand image,brand perception,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Kitchen Nightmare on Guadalupe Street

I just watched Kitchen Nightmares on Fox with chef Gordon Ramsay. This was the first for me and the only reason I tuned it in was because it featured El Greco, a Greek Restaurant in Austin, Texas.

The restaurant was run by Athina Konstantinidis, her sister, Kiki Vasiliadou, and Athina’s son, Jake. What an unmitigated disaster. The trio were at each other’s throats from the opening minute of the show. Jake was a lout. He had lost his passion for cooking and had no desire to be in the kitchen. He was angry, shouted at everyone, swore at his mother and aunt and showed no respect. Jake showed up for work, always late and only for brief appearance, but he had essentially quit.

The sign on the restaurant door read: El Greco Fine Food. Eat Health. Eat Fresh. The cameras showed us the food was anything but fresh, and whether or not is was healthful was definitely in question. We saw everything was reheated in a microwave. Mr. Ramsay was appalled.

I won’t bore you with a summary; you can read a review of the episode here.

Do What You Love; Love What You Do

If you lose the passion for your work, do everyone a favor and take a sabbatical. Or leave – find another job. When you have a bad attitude, you poison the environment and you bring everyone around you down. Why make everyone else miserable?

Why make yourself miserable? Life is too short. Be brave and make a change. Take control of your career and pour your energies into something new that gives you satisfaction. That smile on your face will be proof you turned your personal nightmare into a wonderful dream.

LiveJournal Tags: Kitchen Nightmares,Gordon Ramsey,El Greco Restaurant,Austin Texas,find your passion,take control of your career,respect,common decency,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger analytics

(Anti)social media

Since when did it become acceptable to assail people you don’t know online? It happens every minute of the day on social media and news sites. Many of these verbal assaults are unprovoked and unwarranted.

It’s cowardly to hide behind an Anonymous or fictitious name. It’s spineless to make unsubstantiated accusations and malign someone’s character for sport. It’s childish to resort to name calling simply because you disagree with their point of view.

Even in mainstream media the Comments section following news articles is laced with churlish remarks. The topic of the news story is often irrelevant. Certain unnamed or code named participants hijack the conversation and turn it into an ugly partisan political diatribe. It’s disturbing and appalling.

Please stop or sign off

If you are that insecure in your beliefs that a person from an opposing viewpoint so unsettles you, then perhaps you should sign off the Internet and put your blinders on or put your head back in the sand.

Oops. I apologize for that unprovoked attack.

LiveJournal Tags: respect,common decency,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Aspire to inspire

All of us recognize incompetent leadership. Many of us have worked for an imbecile at some point in our career. Some survived the ordeal, some chose to extricate themselves from the insanity and moved on to other companies, and some were unceremoniously tossed to the curb like yesterday’s trash.

In today’s economy, if you find yourself suffering some fool with a title and authority, you may have few options. So how do you overcome? Better yet, how do you maintain your self respect, continue to perform at a high level, keep your stress level low and maintain a positive attitude?

Never doubt yourself. Show up for work every day, give your all and beat your deadlines. Always be prepared for staff meetings and one-on-one meetings. Do everything you can to minimize the opportunities to be called out for criticism.

Exceed expectations and champion your department. True, the light may shine on your manager, and that might turn your stomach, but some will shine on your colleagues, too, and they will appreciate the recognition the team receives.

Set an example for your peers through your actions and your attitude. Do all you can to maintain unity on the team. Keep everyone focused on the work. Pay compliments with sincerity for accomplishments big and small. If you have the courage, in a staff meeting, give a shout out to a team member. Show them you have their back.

In other words, act like a leader yourself.

Aspire to inspire. And take solace in the knowledge that poor leaders are eventually found out and either neutralized, encouraged to move on or dismissed without remorse.

SIDEBAR:

Have you ever worked for a manager who truly knew how to lead? Are you working for one now? Celebrate and thank her or him today, tomorrow, and the next day. Do so by giving your all every shift with exuberance and pride.

Are you a leader who inspires? Thank you! You are appreciated.

LiveJournal Tags: Leaders,managers,high performance employee,lead by example,inspire,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Seeking leaders in a leaderless age

Leaders aren’t always the smartest people in the room. But they are smart about people. They surround themselves with highly competent managers and give them responsibility, authority and trust to make decisions and resource appropriately to achieve a clear set of objectives. These leaders then get out of the way.

Too bad this sort of leader seems to be in short supply in Corporate America.

What we have today is an abundance of individuals of both genders who rise to a management position with ample self confidence, an insatiable appetite for power, a tremendous ego, an over-inflated sense of their own intelligence, (and sometimes buckets of insecurities), to name a few common traits.

Who are today’s “leaders”?

They are micromanagers at every level of a company and they are not good leaders. They question the smallest details of work performed by interns. They are executives who rewrite brochures, override event staffing decisions, challenge shipping expenses, cancel supply purchases, and hold veto power over Spotlight awards. Their actions (a.k.a. meddling) breed insecurity, distrust, contempt and resentment.

They are VPs who move from company to company every three years or so and bring their entourage, firing high performance employees at their new company without remorse, and they are not good leaders. Rarely do the achieve anything of significance during their time served. But they take good care of their inside circle, providing generous compensation packages and sparkling annual reviews, raises and bonuses.

They are CEOs who spend hours in staff meetings challenging their team, nitpicking every decision and debating every detail simply to outpoint the “opponent” and prove they are the smartest person in the room. They are not good leaders.

Is it any surprise the companies these imposters lead fail to innovate; fail to attract and retain top talent; fail to inspire excellence; fail to excel at anything and fall far short of their potential?

They came. They saw. They conquered. They moved on.

I sincerely hope in these humbling times we see a new school of leaders emerge with an old school philosophy.

What do I mean? See paragraph 1.

LiveJournal Tags: Leaders,micromanagers,executive VP,CEO,executive staff,high performance employee,copywriting,ghost writing,ad copy,freelance,marketing communications,social media writer,blogging

48 years later, the dream still unfolds

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

Martin Luther King Jr., Speech at Civil Rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963

LiveJournal Tags: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.,Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday,I have a dream

In the final analysis

I launched this blog in August 2011 with a commitment to write a post every business day. Generally, I write about writing and the importance of precision in communication. I also comment on brands, marketing, advertising, social media and similar subjects. I have enjoyed the process and along the way rediscovered my love of writing as well as a knack for crafting clever headlines.

Today I’m going to deviate from the norm and discuss this blog’s metrics. I’ll return to the usual topics on Monday.

Two months ago I decided to begin tracking metrics via Google Adwords because it offers more data points than Blogger’s stats. In both analytics tools, my numbers are trending in a positive direction, but I’m puzzled by the disparity in the data where the two tools overlap.

The data

For example, Google measured pageviews 23% lower than Blogger last Monday. On Tuesday, it was 17% lower. Wednesday, it flopped with Google scoring 33% more pageviews. Yesterday, Blogger notched 33% more pageviews.

For the month of December, Blogger claimed 47% more pageviews than Google.

What up with that?

Blogger reports an international readership that includes friends from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden, India, Russia, Azerbaijan and Mexico. Where are my friends from the Great White North?

Google recorded international readers from United Kingdom, Italy, India, Russia, Australia, Mexico and Canada (yes!).**

The dilemma

So what gives? Why doesn’t the data align more closely? Which report is more accurate? What am I missing? Which tool should I trust?

The decision

As previously stated, Google AdWords captures so much more data than Blogger, so I am compelled to give it the nod over the native tool. Still, I’ll wonder if Google is missing some of the traffic, therefore, potentially giving me an incomplete view of my audience.

I don’t like to give my readers short shrift and I feel I deserve the same treatment from my analytics tool.

**SIDEBAR: Readers, if your country isn’t represented, blame it on the analytics tools. Go to Comments, introduce yourself and give your country credit.

LiveJournal Tags: Google AdWords,Blogger analytics,pageviews,international readership,brand advertising,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

If there’s no buzz, there’s no brand interest

I heard on a radio talk show this morning a rundown of the top ten U.S. brands in the United States. I joined the conversation as the hosts were about to reveal the list in reverse order, so I didn’t know any of the details associated with the study. Here are the brands:

10. Apple

9. Target

8. Discovery Channel

7. Ford

6. Lowe’s

5. Cheerios

4. Google

3. History Channel

2. Amazon

1. Subway

It was interesting to hear the commentator’s takes on some of the brands. All expressed surprise at Apple being in the tenth position instead of in the first, second or third spot. They were complimentary of Target and the effort the company made in redesigning their stores and “sweeping the floors.” Discovery Channel raised eyebrows, but one host outlined the strength of their programming and said the shows are very popular.

They breezed by Ford and only mentioned that one of the guys wouldn’t like to see the company ranked sixth because he used to work at their competitor. Cheerios barely registered with the hosts. All thought that Google, like Apple, would own a higher position. They spent some time chatting about the History Channel (now known simply as History) because it was such an unlikely top three…apparently on the strength of reality shows like Pawn Stars.

Amazon surprised no one. The consensus was it’s a powerhouse and they all are very satisfied customers.

Subway at #1? All agreed it had to be because of their pervasive advertising and prodigious media spent. One of the hosts said you couldn’t go 20 minutes without hearing a Subway radio commercial. They love the “Five Dollar Foot Long” jingle and regular pricing promotions. Subway spokesperson Jared received props along with his celebrity friends. The hosts praised the menu, too, one commenting that “you can’t go wrong with a cold cut trio.”

My take

It’s impossible to understand the list. Studying it, I can only make a few assumptions with little confidence. The one oddity I couldn’t ignore is that Cheerios is the only product brand, the others being corporate brands.

I decided to research who compiled the list. That proved to be a small undertaking. The radio station didn’t publish it on their web site. I plugged the search string “most popular 10 brands in the us 2011” in Google and produced a modest yield:  

Wow, only 3 billion, 130 million results? That will be easy to cull.

Did I attempt to narrow the search? Nyet. On the fifth page of results I found this link:

Media in the URL gave me a high level of confidence. My intuition was correct. On the Media Outrage site was a link to YouGov BrandIndex, the purveyors of the study. Their index is titled “Top US Buzz Scores for 2011.” Respondents answered this question:

"If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"

The Buzz Rankings chart showed the brands with the highest average Buzz scores between January and December 2011.

So the survey is strongly geared toward recall which favors brands that are heavily supported by advertising, marketing and social media. So now I only question how the two media brands and Cheerios made the list.

My curiosity satisfied, I decided to end my research here rather than get into the science behind the study: methodology, respondent demographics, etc.

My bottom line

Buzz is usually a positive and a healthy sign for your brand. Clearly, you need to manage your message and be very visible in the marketplace. If a similar survey focused on your market were conducted, where do you suppose your company or product brand would rank?

If there’s no buzz around your brand, there’s no interest in your brand. And that will kill your bottom line.

My pitch

Make the investment and make your own buzz. If you don’t have the bandwidth, intuition or talent to promote your brand, write me.

LiveJournal Tags: Top 10 U.S. Brands 2011,Apple,Target,Discovery Channel,Lowe's,Cheerios,Google,History Channel,Amazon,Subway,Buzz Rankings,YouGov Brand Index,brand advertising,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

The language of business

Listen. What do you hear?

Voices? Yes, but who is talking?

I don’t know. They are speaking in a tongue I don’t understand.

It resembles English, but the words they are using and the manner in which they are communicating makes absolutely no sense to me. It’s gibberish. They might as well be speaking the language of Sauron, because what I’m hearing is positively artificial.

It’s remarkable, isn’t it, that politicians today continue to talk to you instead of engaging in a conversation? Many of us are turned off and tune out because we sense we are inconsequential. Our words and what is important to us seem to fall on deaf ears. And what we hear coming out of the mouths of our elected officials is polished propaganda. Their words make no sense to us because they don’t reflect our truths, our realities.

It’s maddeningly frustrating.

As a business owner or marketing professional, take great care to ensure you are not guilty of acting like a politician. Listen to your customers. Give them multiple channels to communicate: email, social media, webinars, conferences, and the ancient form of face-to-face human interaction. For written messages, reply quickly and give a complete and honest response.

Via all of these methods, make certain you and your employees engage in a genuine dialogue and converse in a respectful and natural i.e. not rushed manner. Give the customer the time it takes to address their needs. There should be no buzzwords, catchphrases or “standard company lines”. Guidelines may be acceptable, but scripted responses should be avoided.

Be authentic, be accessible and be the voice of your customer. When you speak a common language, you have the foundation for a long and mutually rewarding relationship.

It’s simple common sense, which may be why it escapes politicians.

LiveJournal Tags: listen,hear,political speak,spin,buzzwords,catchphrase,standard company line,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

What’s your story?

I loved to watch VH1’s epic "Behind the Music” episodes on Sunday nights back in the late 1990’s. Each show profiled a musician or musical group, documenting their successes, excesses, and failures. It often laid bare some exceptionally embarrassing  and disgusting behaviors and the general recklessness of some very popular music industry talents. These one hour biographies were brilliantly narrated by Jim Forbes.

I’ve often thought the reason the show was so wildly popular was because it was brutally honest and largely uncensored. To be featured, the artist or musical group had to agree that nothing was taboo. Their lives were exposed for all to see, warts and all. Nothing was held back. The viewing public learned that many artists and musical groups redefined bawdy, outrageous, sordid and sexist behavior. Many made millions of dollars and snorted, drank or wasted it all away. Fortunes were squandered. It was the ultimate in debauchery and hedonism.

Most musicians feared the public backlash would be severe.

Quite the opposite occurred. Music fans adored the shows and applauded the artists for telling us about their lives on the road. We, the viewing public, appreciated their bravery and honesty. We saw them at their lowest point and it made us see them as more like us. We could relate to them. They became accessible. Human.

The Fallout

The artist’s popularity soared. Album sales soared. Many were encouraged to tour again. Careers were revived. Suddenly, musicians were clamoring for VH1 to produce a documentary about them. Some enjoyed greater success the second time around.

America Loves Comeback Stories

It’s not that different with businesses. Chrysler had an incredible comeback from near bankruptcy in the early 1980s with Lee Iacocca as their leader and spokesperson. He admitted to Americans how the company had failed them. Humbled, he asked for forgiveness and a second chance. “If you can find a better car, buy it,” he urged Americans. We loved the audacity. And we decided to give Chrysler a second chance. And they soared again.

More recently, Chrysler struck again with their “Imported from Detroit” campaign. It went to the heart of what ails Detroit and spoke to the fierce pride of their people. They told us: We are making better vehicles that reflect the spirit and resilience of the citizens of Detroit. We were once at the pinnacle, now we’re in the abyss, but we’re going to rise again.

America Loves Comeback Stories

America loves stories in general. So what’s your business story? You have one. What is it about your business that makes you unique? Why and how did you get started? What mistakes were made? What did you learn and how did it help you become the company you are today? Why should I buy from you?

You have a story. Let me help you tell it.

LiveJournal Tags: Stories,VH1 Behind the Music,Jim Forbes,Chrysler 200,Lee Iacocca,comeback stories,underdogs,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

The right words in the wrong places

As if the English language isn’t complicated enough, lax attention to sentence structure can lead to some unnecessary angst, or worse.

I’ve written many times that careful and deliberate word choice and sentence structure are crucial for crisp, clear and effective communication. I’m adding “order of words” to the list. It’s uncanny how shifting a word one position can affect meaning. Give that some thought.

Attentive professional writers strive to construct sentences properly and place words where they are most effective. We understand that transposing words can change meaning entirely. Most often, it probably results in a chuckle or mild embarrassment. Other times, you may find yourself having some explaining to do. Worst case, you end up having to clean up a serious misunderstanding and extend apologies all the way around.

Let’s examine how “choice words” means something entirely different than “word choices.”

I really appreciated her choice words.

I really appreciated her word choices.

Both sentences are grammatically correct, but choice words conveys anger, whereas word choices expresses admiration.

Here is another example:

The engine fire caught the attention of everyone on the street.

The fire engine caught the attention of everyone on the street.

An engine fire means someone’s vehicle is going up in smoke. You have an emergency situation and it’s not clear if the fire department has been notified. On the other hand, a fire engine commands everyone’s attention, whether it is silently passing through the neighborhood or on a run with sirens blaring. In this case, we must read more to understand why the fire engine is on the street.

Is this word swap egregious? 

Did you gauge the interest group?

Did you gauge the group interest?

An interest group implies politics, lobbyists, influence and power. Gauging an interest group means you’re taking their temperature on a topic. Group interest, on the other hand, sounds innocuous. Here, it almost appears like the individual being asked the question is expected to talk to her friends and get them to vote on whether everyone wants to go to the movies or the pizza parlor.

Let’s close with a doozy: 

You can imagine that a dry cleaner owner inadvertently misses money in the pocket of a customer’s article of clothing from time-to-time.  But money going through laundry is no big deal, right?  It depends on how you say it.

The owner of the dry cleaners always talked about money laundering.

The owner of the dry cleaners always talked about laundering money.

The former sentence could result in a raid by the Feds. That would not be a good day.

LiveJournal Tags: sentence structure,word choice,reader comprehension,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

I wanna live with a synonym girl

Does this happen to you?

You’re writing a blog post, video script, e-direct, web page or brochure and you’re in another place. Words are cascading across the screen like a swift moving stream. Sentence after sentence just flows. It’s a rapturous feeling. Almost euphoric. You bask in it. Suddenly, unseen and unanticipated, you hit an impenetrable wall.

DAM!

As in, flow stopped completely.

What brakes your momentum?

Me? More often than not, I find myself grasping for a word.

Can you believe it? Everything comes to a screeching halt because I’m not happy with a word choice.

Many writers probably just paddle on. They use a placeholder and get back to writing. That’s not me. I have to find the right word. I can’t move on.

What to do.

I call on my synonym girl.

Mindful that synonyms do not always carry the same meaning, I may end up cross-referencing the word in the dictionary. Back and forth I might go between the two tabs three, four or five times.

The word I choose has to be precise. It’s important to ensure clarity and audience comprehension.

When I’m satisfied, I get back to writing and find that flow. Ah, there you are. I’m back in the stream. Nice.

LiveJournal Tags: word choice,thesaurus,dictionary,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Word, I banish thee

I learned a wonderful thing today thanks to a good friend (you know who you are Christy). There exists a “List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness.” It is compiled annually from nominations submitted by wonderful people all over the globe and is published on New Year’s Day. It’s been going strong since New Year's Day 1976.

I love it! How did I not know?

From the owner’s website:

The first list was dreamed up by Lake Superior State University Public Relations Director W.T. (Bill) Rabe and a group of friends at a New Year's Eve party in 1975. The following day, Rabe released the list (to the media) and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, nominations for words and expressions to be banished have been invited and accepted throughout the year.

Brilliant.

Without looking, write down your guesses for what’s on the list for 2012. I wrote a blog post on buzzwords recently and followed it with individual posts on two words that I think are on the list: engaged or engagement, and innovate or innovation. Another word I expect made the list is social.

These three buzzwords may not be on the 2012 list, but I can almost guarantee you they made a list in recent years: disruption, best practice and collaborate.

Have you written down your guesses? Okay, so let’s check the list.

Did you make the same mistake I made? I wasn’t thinking about popular culture. I had my work hat on. The terms I chose I hear in professional work settings all of the time (and it’s nauseating). That’s probably too small of a sample.

Buzzword Bingo is the working world’s equivalent to the Banished List. This game has been around since the early 1990’s and is now 269 words strong and growing. Play it online during your next quarterly meeting or conference call. Just don’t yell Bingo or be prepared to suffer the consequences.

So back to the 2012 banished words list, how many do you hear on a regular basis? For me, the top two vote-getters, amazing and baby bump (groan) certainly, as well as occupy, trickeration and ginormous (dumb). Are any of these terms in your daily vocabulary?

Now that I am aware of the “List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness,” I will be sending in nominations for 2013 as this year progresses. How exciting would it be to see one of my submissions - with attribution - on the next list?

Of course, if the Mayans are correct….

LiveJournal Tags: list of banished words,buzzwords,buzzword bingo,catchphrase,corporate communications,credibility,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogging

Maximizing shareholder value = the demise of capitalism

Friends and colleagues have heard me argue for years that “enhance shareholder value” should not be a part of a company’s mission statement or any CEO speech. My position is that if you provide an innovative and differentiated product or service the market needs at a fair price, shareholder value will take care of itself. It’s a fait accompli.

To the detriment of customers, employees and American businesses, CEOs must ensure that public companies must perform to absurd earnings expectations of stockholders, institutional and professional investors, and the good old boys and girls club on the board of directors. These people aren’t looking out for you or me, or the companies they invest in or control. It’s all about squeezing as much money as possible out of the organization every 90 days.

There is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer. – Peter Drucker

A very important article on the matter was recently published in Forbes magazine and I implore you to read it. Our current recession is a direct result of the theories, accounting rules and street expectations governing American corporations. From the article:

“A pervasive emphasis on the expectations market,” writes (Roger) Martin, “has reduced shareholder value, created misplaced and ill-advised incentives, generated inauthenticity in our executives, and introduced parasitic market players. The moral authority of business diminishes with each passing year, as customers, employees, and average citizens grow increasingly appalled by the behavior of business and the seeming greed of its leaders. At the same time, the period between market meltdowns is shrinking, Capital markets—and the whole of the American capitalist system—hang in the balance.”

Read the article. Capitalism is at risk. Our way of life is threatened. Changes must come soon.

LiveJournal Tags: maximizing shareholder value,Peter Drucker,the customer comes first,Forbes magazine,brand,quality,perception,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy,web content,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media

Will the Qwik and not-so-dead Netflix rise again?

The prognosticators are making their annual predications on the resurrection or demise of brands. Not surprisingly, Netflix made the list. Which list? Would you believe the former?

In a Forbes article, branding expert Adam Hanft gives Netflix a pass for the 2011 follies. The reasons: consumers have short memories and Netflix is “an emotional brand” lead by an innovative chief. At first, I thought the adjective was a massive type. Surely, Hanft meant idiot CEO.

Come on! How is it Mr. Hastings still has a job? After his Qwikster and price increase debacles cost Netflix nearly 800K customers, tens of millions of dollars in revenue and incalculable brand value decline, he should have been thrown out on his keister by the board of directors. The rank and file get pink slipped for mistakes that sometimes cost the company nothing more than an inconvenience. Rank clearly does hath its privileges.

Hanft cites Netflix’s own original programming as their ace in the hole. Maybe he’s prescient, but to me that’s putting a lot of faith in something only a few insiders and paid critics have sampled. Lilyhammer, their first series to air, may be a gem, but that doesn’t portend a lineup of hits behind it and a viewing public prepared to back to Netflix with their wallets open.

Consumers are emotional, too, and I’m not so sure they’ll ever forgive and forget.

LiveJournal Tags: Netflix,CEO Reed Hastings,Forbes magazine,Adam Hanft,Qwikster,Lilyhammer,brand,quality,perception,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy,web content,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media

A New Year of exceptional possibilities

So 2011 is in the rearview mirror. How does it look back there? In retrospect, what kind of year was it for you?

For many, there were plenty of struggles and serious concerns about finances, stability, security, health and long-term gainful employment. That was quite a burdensome load.

Are you carrying these same issues into 2012?

Does the new year represent a new start for you? Did you resolve to take on a new perspective, to give yourself an attitude adjustment? What will you do differently to improve your situation?

One thing is certain: the status quo will not suffice. Changes must be made. First and foremost may be your outlook. Regardless of how grim your circumstances, a positive frame of mind is vital to attaining success. 

People surround themselves with winners. Winners project confidence no matter what obstacles they confront. It’s this “can do” fighting spirit that those in position of power seek in others.

Adopt it. Consciously work at it every minute of every day. Make it part of your DNA.

How your world changes in 2012 will likely boil down to one thing: belief in yourself.

LiveJournal Tags: Happy New Year,power of positive thinking,attitude adjustment,New Year's reolution,winners,can do attitude,belief in yourself,brand,quality,perception,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy,web content,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media