The consumer engagement book on Facebook

In the February 28 online edition of Ad Age is the following headline:

Even Sexy Brands Struggle With Low Engagement on Facebook

with this subhead:

Less Than 1% of Fans -- a Lot Less, in Most Cases -- Actually Do Something

Even so-called passion brands experienced underwhelming numbers.

Who is surprised by this finding?

Engagement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Facebook and other social media platforms are still evolving as an effective media for brands. It remains unclear how best to interact with consumers in a meaningful way that results in measurable revenue as well as a stronger relationship.

It will come over time. Some brands will discover how to seriously monetize engagement on Facebook. Others will discover that Facebook is worthwhile only to maintain visibility and a dialogue – which is valuable – but to look to other media to drive revenue.

In the near term, the question is: will the findings of this very extensive study change how brands approach Facebook? Will brands continue to devote the same level of human resources, time and money, or will an adjustment occur?

Are you responsible for the social media campaign for a brand? Will you fine-tune your Facebook strategy?

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And so the story goes

In yesterday’s post, I lamented the lack of emphasis on writing in our public education system and the repercussions it has had in today’s society. So few high school and college graduates today can write well, and not surprisingly, many hate writing.

I have a different shortcoming. I’m not a very captivating verbal storyteller. Or at least I don’t think I’m very good at telling stories. The reasons I lack confidence are that I sometimes

• forget important details
• jumble the facts
• am unable to recall the names of key players in the drama
• confuse the sequence of events

Children are to be heard

I sprouted from a family that didn’t have a heritage of weaving yarns or relating the experiences of the day. Daily interactions were brief. Everyone seemed too busy to pay attention. Storytelling wasn’t part of the day, ever. So I never acquired the skill.

Growing up, classroom presentations didn’t exist in elementary and middle schools. As I moved through high school and college, giving oral reports and speeches intimidated me. I stood before the class and quivered and quaked as I delivered my presentation from a script in a weak and monotone voice. Boring.

I much preferred writing. Personal letters, poems, school reports, compositions, research papers, essays and blue book finals were my salvation. I knew I had an ability to write and I relished the opportunity to prove it.

For whatever reason, the ability to write didn’t translate to an ability to read aloud what I wrote in an engaging manner. My words failed to come alive when I uttered them. That was all on me as an orator. A lack of confidence and comfort before an audience sabotaged me.

Practice makes perfect

Fast forward to the present. I am now proficient at giving presentations because it was a requirement with most every job I’ve held. I’m also a capable public speaker with prepared text. When it comes to off the cuff, a.k.a. extemporaneous or impromptu speeches, it depends on the context, audience, and subject matter. Storytelling, however, still requires some work.

As in writing, giving presentations, public speaking and storytelling is all about learning the craft and practice, practice, practice.

And practice I shall continue in the hopes that someday I will be proudly known as an enthralling storyteller.

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Help wanted

I am always dismayed when I hear someone exclaim “I hate to write”. How sad. Writing is like a fingerprint: everyone’s is unique. I find it fascinating to see how others express themselves in written form. Unfortunately, writing is so under-appreciated.

Teach your children well

When our public education system de-emphasized the liberal arts, writing was no longer viewed as an essential skill. Generations of children and young adults went through primary and secondary education with very little instruction on how to construct a sentence, paragraph, report,or story, or how to express coherent thoughts through the written word.

The repercussions were quickly evident and are epidemic today. Poor writing is all around us at work and in our social lives. Read a school report, a homeowner’s association announcement, an online article or blog, an office memorandum or new product user’s manual. All too often, it will not only cause heartburn, confusion, consternation and/or outrage, but you’ll spend needless energy and lose countless hours of productivity.

Learn from the best

Writing is an acquired skill that takes education and a lot of practice. To really excel, serious writers seek out mentors amongst the seasoned writers and editors in their sphere to provide instruction and guidance. Do you work with a fellow writer or editor?

I’m seeking a volunteer. Is anyone interested in providing constructive criticism of my writing? Do write me with your qualifications.

Thank you.

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It’s a brand new day

It’s the end of the day and I’m thinking about how many brands I’ve been exposed to today. More than I can remember, that’s for certain. In fact, as I strive to recall any, I’m coming up mostly blank.

Interesting.

I spent the morning packing for a trip. Some of my clothes, including an Adidas long sleeve t-shirt, went into a bag with the swoosh on the side.

We drove without stopping. I saw many banks, gas stations and convenience stores on street corners. I know I saw a Dillard’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom at a large mall. Beyond them, none of the names really sunk in. We passed big rigs with brands on the trailers, but I didn’t give them much notice.

My friend, who was driving, mentioned that our destination was just past a very large IKEA store. It was large, so that image is imprinted in my memory.

After arriving, we made a quick trip to a nearby Kroger to pick up some beer. We chose Modello’s Especial Cerveza. We also purchased On the Border salsa, tortilla chips and a breakfast cinnamon cake.

On the way to American Airlines Center for the Dallas Stars game, I had my first burger, fries and shake at In and Out. I understand this is a very popular fast food restaurant. Everything was just okay in mind opinion.

At the arena, practically every surface had a logo on it. I don’t remember any. I’m serious.

Taco Bueno is at the top of the recall scale because of a third period promotion at the Dallas Stars game. If the Stars scored, all fans would receive a coupon for a free taco. With one minute left it didn’t look promising, but then the Stars gained possession and Tom Wandell scored his second goal of the night with 53 seconds left. Free taco!

So that promotion paid off for Taco Bueno.

I’ll chalk up my poor recall to selective perception. And I’ll chalk this rather lousy unscientific brand recall test result on my driveway. It will only take a minute.

del.icio.us Tags: brand identity,brand character,brand value,brand extension,target market,market segment,written word,brand communication blogs,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

I brand, therefore I am

There’s no such thing as a brand that sells itself. Brands must be supported by marketing lest they eventually whither and die.

Brands must always earn new customers to replace those lost through attrition and the cycle of life.

Never make the mistake of thinking you own a product category, thus the brand can take some time off. Like a movie star, vocalist or author, if you disappear from the public eye, in due time you will be forgotten; replaced by another brand that caught your customer’s fancy.

Be vigilant. Brand, or be gone.

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Can your brand expand?

Brand extensions can be a key source of additional market share and new revenue for a product line. A successful extension can also breathe new life into the original brand. This reason alone often is incentive enough to grow the brand’s footprint.

A brand extension that transcends most every demographic and is simply suitable with little or no adjustments to the parent product, its packaging, pricing, placement or promotion is a home run. The most successful brand extensions require the least amount of work. But let’s face it, in the consumer products categories, that is probably a rare occurrence.

Questioning the obvious

Brand teams very carefully rationalize a decision to develop a product extension. There are clear rules of engagement they follow to ensure the fundamental questions are answered.

Are we extending this brand to a new market segment because it fills a void or affords a measurable impact that a competing product can’t (or didn’t)? Is it sustainable and defensible? Are we certain the intended target market will adopt the brand, or is it too closely identified with a market segment that isn’t them? Can we win and can we be profitable?

Some of the not-so-obvious questions to ask about your brand extension include,

Is it:

• gender shrewd?
• race sensible?
• culturally cognizant?
• age appropriate?
• senior citizen savvy?
• belief system aware?
• relationship independent?
• economically equal?

Perhaps the answers to most of these questions can be captured in the answer to this question:

Did the brand team take into consideration the preferences, tastes, and sensibilities of the new market segment?

Stating the obvious

Repurposing a product for another gender, culture, race, age range and/or any other combinations that define a market segment is not simply a matter of changing colors, language, key messages and the images on the packaging. Brands must research the new market very carefully and make absolutely certain that the product attributes that are attractive to one market segment hold the same endearing magnetism for another.

It’s a custom-fit world today. There are more and more niche brands popping up and their owners are willing to settle for a sliver of your pie, i.e. one of the bullets above. Can your brand extension develop and protect its turf?

Missing the obvious

To gain perspective on how brand managers consistently fail women when designing and marketing their products to them, read this article in Forbes online by Molly Ackerman-Brimberg, executive insights and trends strategist at Ziba, a Design and Innovation Consultancy based in Portland, Oregon.

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This brand is your brand, this brand is my brand

One of the worst mistakes a brand manager or marketing communications team can inflict on a brand is to mimic trends. Trends come and go and the fifteen minutes of fame and attention they bring fail to enhance a brand or engender customer loyalty. Oftentimes, the backlash from a trend once rejected is far more severe than the euphoria that came while riding the wave.

A constant in an ever-changing world

A brand has its own unique identity. The smart brand manager is confident in the brand’s solid and stable personality. The brand’s appearance can evolve with the times, but its character and its essence is unaltered. The team can steer the brand with ease through popular cultural shifts with little difficulty and without compromising its soul.
The brand promise and what it represents to its customers remains the same.
Its values never change.
It speak with the same authority.
It is constant in its benefits and the quality of its interaction with it customers.

Trying to avoid the strange changes

Changing colors is for chameleons and traitors. Stay with the tried and true and avoid the insanity. You don’t jump on any bandwagons, and you don’t attach your brand to a flash-in-the-pan, lest you become one yourself.

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So what’s your story?

At ProductCamp Austin 8 on Saturday, Josh Duncan, Director of Product Marketing and Community at Noesis Energy, an Austin based software startup, led a town hall discussion entitled Own Your Story Or Someone Else Will.

The title alone was all I needed to read to know Josh and I share a common philosophy.

A key take-away from the town hall discussion was this comment from Josh, “Good marketing uses a product to tell stories. Bad marketing tells stories about products.”

So true.

Your product stories

As you read that sentence, did you think about your stories? Can you classify them as good marketing or are they in reality, bad marketing?

Hopefully, you said good.

Good stories are truthful, authentic and from the customer’s point of view. They address a problem that resonates with a large segment of the market and presents a solution that is replicable without a massive drain on resources and an act of Congress.

The rest of the stories

Good stories are not tall tales, fantasies, sci-fi or other works of fiction – even those that could be true if and only if someone would purchase the product for the problem described. 

That’s bad marketing disguised as good marketing. It’s misleading, disingenuous and calls into question the authority, integrity and character of the author. Should a company buy your product based on such a story, only to have fits trying to get the product to solve the problem described in the fictitious account, the final chapter could prove to be a horror story for everyone involved.

del.icio.us Tags: product stories,good marketing,bad marketing,ProductCamp Austin 8,written word,brand communication,blogs,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Working for the weekend

It’s Friday. What can I say?

I’ve said a lot this week and the word well has run dry. It’s time to replenish.

Tomorrow I attend ProductCamp Austin 8. Saturday evening, my wife and I will see The Crucible at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St. Edward’s University.

Sunday, I volunteer with the Ronald McDonald House-Austin organization at water station number 4 for the Livestrong Austin Marathon. Reporting time is 5:30 a.m. At 1:00 p.m., I captain a USTA men’s tennis match at my neighborhood club.

Maybe I’ll find some time to relax Sunday evening.

On Monday, I’ll be back here writing my next blog post. I hope you will join me.

Have a safe, fun and restful weekend.

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Happiness is…a picture and a thousand words

Can photos alone tell a brand story? Can they launch a thousand products?  Can they drive sales and repeat sales, and engender and nurture customer loyalty?

Can photos make the written word superfluous?

If the product is digital cameras, perhaps. For most other products, no.

This study says blogs and other text-oriented applications are dying

Some studies and a few experts think it’s true. Ekaterina Walter, a social media strategist at Intel, authored a blog for Jay Baer, a self described hype-free social media and content strategist, with the headline:

Will The Rise of the Photo Apps Kill the Written Word?

I encourage you to read the blog post. It’s really quite fascinating, well researched, expertly analyzed by Ekaterina. You might be surprised by what the data tells you, but then again, you might just say, “Of course! It’s rather obvious actually.”

The answer is, it depends

The early results suggest that photo apps will be a vital marketing communications component for companies with products that sell based on their visual appeal. Ekaterina’s write-up explains this well, so I won’t repeat what you can read in her post.

To Pinterest, or to not Pinterest

As you might expect, some of what is fueling this debate is the rocket-like rise of Pinterest. It has blown up in dizzying fashion to become all the rage in social media realms. Businesses are jumping in and trying to figure out how to integrate Pinterest into their marketing and social media strategy. Inevitably, some will discover that the application adds little to no measurable value for them.

Are company blogs doomed?

Hardly. Blogs will remain a strategic imperative for complex products that are a difficult sell. They’ll also continue to be an important communications vehicle in industries and with companies where innovation is a constant.

We’ve hailed the end before

Remember, experts exclaimed that the paperless office was a forgone conclusion with the introduction of the personal computer for business.  That was over a quarter-century ago. They nailed that one, didn’t they?

Pictures are powerful, yet they are like art, which is subject to individual interpretation. In many cases, words ensure the interpretation is as the brand intended.

The written word will never die, and that makes copywriters everywhere, this one included, very happy.

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Embrace the impossible

Some consider it a challenge to write a tweet. Admittedly it is, especially if your subject is very complex. However, once you’ve authored a few tweets, you realize you can actually say a lot in 140 characters.

I consider writing a headline or subject line a much more difficult assignment. I admire those who possess the skill to craft a succinct, yet very informative, provocative or punchy headline or subject line, especially if they do so with an economy of words.

There is a new line of thinking flittering about in the blogosphere that headlines today, especially for blogs and other social media, need to be longer. Short headlines just don’t cut it anymore.

The long and short of it

The argument is that there is so much content being pumped at people on the Internet that the headline has to do all of the work. You need to provide enough context − the who, what, and especially the why − to convince the reader that your post is relevant, insightful, educational or informational, and worth his or her time.

Length ≠ quality

If everyone is writing long form explanatory headlines, oh what a dull Internet it will be. Some will read the title and decide they’ve learned all they need to know. It’s akin to skimming search engine results and drawing conclusions without clicking on the URLs. The jazz, mystery and appeal of a brief blog or story title disappears.

Furthermore, not every book is a novel. Short stories often deliver significant impact.

Motion to contest

Short titles still have a place in today’s social media driven world. To demonstrate, I’d like to turn headline writing into a game fashioned after the Bid-A-Note segment from the television game show Name That Tune. If you’re not familiar with the show, here’s a brief explanation:

After being read a clue, two contestants bid on who can name the tune in the fewest notes.  The opening bid from one contestant might be five notes. The opponent either counters with a lower bid, or challenges the other to Name That Tune. 

Write that headline

MC Bob: Here’s the situation:  A woman has just achieved an astonishing feat that defies laws of nature, science, medicine and logic. Experts are fumbling for words to effectively describe what many are refusing to believe occurred, even though  thousands saw it with their own eyes. Without using the words miracle, faith or higher power, Write That Headline!

Brainy Brian:  Bob, I can write that headline in five words.

Babbling Brooke:  Bob, I can write that headline in four words.

Brainy Brian:  Three words.

Babbling Brooke: Okay Brainy Brian, write that headline!

MC Bob: Okay Brainy Brian, you have ten seconds to Write That Headline using only three words.  Remember, miracle, faith and high power can not be part of the headline. Ready…GO!

Brainy Brian:  Embrace the impossible.

del.icio.us Tags: headline,title,words,vocabulary,lexicon,spoken word,written word,written language,word choice,catchphrases,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

To be a leader, write like a leader

So your CEO laces his speeches, presentations, press interviews and conversations with crutch words, slang and a few catchphrases, and it makes you cringe.

Why? Is it because what sounds funny coming from the mouth of a teenager, sounds a bit pathetic coming from a middle aged man (or woman)?

Do you believe that to be respected and viewed as a leader, he needs to not only act like one, but sound like one, too. You don’t want him to sound like every other business leader; you simply want him to appear educated, somewhat sophisticated and capable of articulating a vision without using words like “awesome” and “amazing”. You want him to be able to announce a new product with resorting to catchphrases, like “keeping it real”, “occupying ____” (fill in the blank) “just sayin’”and “going viral”.

These words and catchphrases are not in the lexicon of renowned and respected business leaders in any industry.

What’s good for the goose

Do you apply the same rules and expectations to your writing? Or do you invoke adjectives like “fabulousness” and “super cool” in email messages to colleagues? Do you relax the grammar rules and write incomplete sentences when presenting the creative platform for the next product launch in a marketing meeting?

Do your colleagues and managers view you as a “hipster”, or a professional with a highly valued skill that delivers measurable value to the company?

Is good for the gander

Keep in mind that all business communication helps shape other’s perception of you. If you want to be viewed as a leader, write like a leader.  Always write with purpose, clarity and precision. Keep your copy crisp and to the point so you leave no room for interpretation.

That doesn’t mean your works have to be dry or vanilla. You have your own style and your own way of expressing yourself and your ideas. Have the confidence to infuse your uniqueness into your written works.

For example, when conveying the big idea for a product launch, your words do need to carry the weight of the concept and power of payoff; yet, a tinge of excitement is permissible and even encouraged to show that you are passionate about the idea and absolutely convinced it will achieve the desired business results. It’s important to do so to secure buy-in.

Let your writing project a comfort in who you are as a leader, a business professional and role model.

Your clarity of message, your personal style and the consistency in how you act and communicate will win the confidence of your peers and management. Where contributions and leadership abilities are properly rewarded, perhaps it will write your ticket to a promotion.

Sounds like a sweet deal, doesn’t it?

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Strike these words from your vocabulary

Last Thursday, I wrote a post on crutch words, and more specifically, on the annoying overuse of the term “like”. Crutch words seemed to strike a chord with many of you. One reader wrote:

Please don't get me started...if I only had a nickel for every time someone used "amazing" or "awesome" over the past few years. AND THEY WON'T GO AWAY, no matter how meaningless their overuse makes them. Stunning.

Business Talk

I couldn’t agree more. “Like”, “amazing”, and “awesome” used to be words you’d only hear out of the mouths of teenagers. Not anymore. Now network news anchors and CEOs are guilty of the crime.

Why are our lions of media and industry sounding more and more like kids? Are they attempting to exhibit some kind of street cred? If so, they are failing miserably. They need to re-visit leadership books like “The Effective Executive” and “Management” by Peter Drucker. I’m pretty confident Mr. Drucker never counseled leaders to sound more youthful.

Sport Talk

In the world of sports, coaches and athletes apparently are given a handbook that serves as a guideline for press interviews. It consists of one verb: “execute”. It’s so overused and abused now that it has no meaning whatsoever.

Sports reporter: “Great game Athlete! How did you find a way to beat those guys? They’re a great team.”

Athlete: “You know, it all was because we were able to, you know, execute. The coaches, you know, put together a great game plan and, you know, we executed and, you know, pretty much did what we knew we could do.”

I’m convinced the handbook for play-by-play announcers and color analysts consists of one adjective: “great”.  I suspect sports reporters and talk show hosts stole the handbook. Listen closely to the next broadcast and the post game interviews of any sport on the national and collegiate levels. I kid you not, you’ll hear a single football play described as follows:

“It was a great throw by the quarterback, but what really made it a great play was the great route run by the receiver and a great catch in the end zone.”

This caliber of commentary is probably true at the high school level, too, although I’m telling you more than I know since I don’t listen to high school sports broadcasts.

This is what our society is becoming as communicators. A lack of an expansive vocabulary is dumbing down our public discourse, literature, music, movies, new reporting and personal conversations. It’s a disturbing trend.

Presidential Talk

When I hear the President of the United States describe a meeting with the G8 Summit leaders as “awesome” and the hospitality shown by the host country as “amazing”, I’ll know doomsday is imminent.

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A writer’s mulligan stew

Do writers ever get a mulligan? This is golf’s equivalent of a “do over”. It is described as when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action.

There are days when I publish my blog satisfied with the work I’ve performed and comfortable that I am giving my readers something worthwhile to invest their time in. But later in the day, I return and re-read what I released and a bit of unease creeps into my soul.

Dread looms over me as I begin to worry that my audience is going to be disappointed in my writing.

“What is this crap?” they may ask themselves. “The piece seems uninspired. It lacks flow. The key ideas are disjointed. I’m not sure what the point of the post is, if there even is a point.”

This may be a bit irrational. I read other writer’s blogs and I’m never that harsh. Still, I worry that others aren’t so understanding or forgiving. I stew over it for awhile.

Do writers have their own version of a mulligan? Not to my knowledge, but if we do, I need to bank a few, for there’s little doubt in my mind that I’ll have to use one from time-to-time.

Maybe today.

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The incredibly annoying overuse of like

One of my readers encouraged me to author a post on “one more diatribe about the modern phenomenon of the usage of the word ‘like’”. My reply, admittedly was a bit snarky:

I “like” your suggestion…. If there were a Like button, I'd click it. ;)

In truth, I do like the suggestion and vigorously agree with the reader’s observation that the overuse of like in communication has expanded well beyond the teenage demographic.

The “Like” Virus

Teenagers use “like” as a crutch word when they are telling stories. This is natural and practically universal. It happened in my day and it’s going on now with my daughters and their wide circle of friends. I’m no expert on the matter, but I suspect part of it is teenagers are still are honing their skills as storytellers and learning the fine art of carrying on a conversation. In both instances, they tend to speak too quickly and with a lot of emotion, so their brains are often playing catch-up. “Like” serves as a convenient filler.

Mercifully, most outgrow it in their early 20s.

At least they used to, but now it seems a majority don’t outgrow it at all and a striking number of adults have caught the “like” virus.

A Social Virus

Is it possible that social media subconsciously contributed to its overuse and abuse?  Admittedly, this is likely (sorry, I couldn’t resist) a stretch, but it deserves to be considered.

Social media captured the younger generation’s imagination immediately. As their fascination, passion and excitement grew, adults began to take notice. We worried at first about their time involvement, but once we checked out Facebook, we were hooked.

Teens then worried that their parents. Were parents and their friend’s parents going to stalk them on Facebook? That concern soon abated when adults began reconnecting with childhood, high school and college friends. Mom and Dad didn’t have time to police their teens.

The upside was that adults and teens had something in common; both were ensnared in Facebook mania.

Then came YouTube.

Between these social media apps, Twitter, and mobile phone apps, moms, dads and their teenagers had so many shared “likes” to discuss. Did the younger generation’s enthusiasm infect adults with the “like” virus?

Even if this were true, it doesn’t explain why so many adults now pollute their oral conversations with “like”. It’s rather distracting and annoying. What’s up with this regression?

My Take

I blame it on the Like function in Facebook.

Okay, so clearly I’m at a loss to explain. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t, I’m a writer. I suggest this is almost exclusively a verbal communications issue. It is best addressed by experts in that field.

Your Take

If you have any suppositions on why “like” is the most overused word in the English language, please share it in the Comment section.

del.icio.us Tags: oral communication,social media,Facebook,Twitter,YouTube,Like function,+1,thumbs up,words,vocabulary,lexicon,spoken word,written word,written language,word choice,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

Words are our currency

Writing is a skill. And like any talent, in order to elevate onesself in her or his craft requires discipline, dedication and practice. Lots of practice.

Besides pen and paper, or a computer, what are essential tools a writer should have at her or his disposal at all times? For most, the dictionary and the thesaurus top the list. 

These writing tools not only help to ensure precision in communication, they can aid in expanding your vocabulary. This will only elevate the quality of your writing even more. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Word Search

When you are searching for a word, the thesaurus may be your best friend. In a previous post, I explained how I am reliant on my “Synonym Girl™”. She helps me when I am at struggling for a word, or simply looking to mix up my prose with a fresh term.

Don’t settle for the common word. Seek out sexy substitutes that energize!

For example, instead of choosing the more familiar term enthusiastic, you might choose ebullient instead:

“My goodness, could Natalia have been any more enthusiastic?”

“My goodness, could Natalia have been any more ebullient?”

Enthusiastic is a fine descriptor, but ebullient has a special air about it.

In another very recent post, I brooded over how simplistic communication has become even though we are a far better educated people than perhaps at any time in history. With the accumulation of knowledge has come the dumbing down of our language. Why, I lament? In this example, see if you don’t agree that scintilla is a far better word choice than speck:

“Despite his protestations of innocence, there’s not a speck of truth in his denials.”

“Despite his protestations of innocence, there’s not a scintilla of truth in his denials.”

Again, speck is a satisfactory adjective, yet scintilla carries so much more impact.

Final Word

For writers, words are our currency. The more words we know, the richer our writing. However, finding and selecting the right words to express our ideas can be a painstaking search at times, even with a dictionary and thesaurus. But with practice, I submit to you, dear reader, that your word choice and your prose will vastly improve, bringing you and your audience a significantly more lucrative payoff.

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Colorful words color conversations

What we have here is a failure to communicate with style.

It is a bit ironic that over the years, as our society has become more educated and we have more incredible technology at our disposal to aid in learning and doing, our conversational and written vocabularies seem to have shrunk.

I mean, I’ve heard of “small” talk, but this is taking it to the extreme.

I’m all for making language more accessible, but to turn our daily interactions into vacuous verbalism is vanilla.

Words with multiple syllables – I often refer to them as polysyllabic or multisyllabic – are disappearing from everyday conversation. Why is it so many of us aren’t familiar with the colorful words in our language? And why is it people are offended when words they aren’t familiar with are used by others when talking to them? They react as if the utterer is intentionally insulting their intelligence in a deliberate attempt to make them appear and feel stupid.

Balderdash! What? You don’t know what that means?

Poppycock! Say what? You can’t be serious. The answer is no, it is not a male opium plant.

Bosh! No, not the power tools and definitely not the basketball player.

Rubbish! Huh? True, it’s a synonym for trash, but you’ve never heard it used in this context?

Okay then, I give…

Nonsense.

a.k.a.

BORING!

LiveJournal Tags: words,vocabulary,lexicon,spoken word,written word,written language,word choice,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

A million words march

Did you know there are 1,010,649.7 words in the English language?

It’s a BIG number. It’s an absurd number. Who counted all of these words? Who is the arbiter of what constitutes a word? Did this same word savant approve a word that was only 70% complete?

That worries me.

Seriously, though, if there are over one million words in the English language, it begs the question, how can we ever be at a loss for words? We utterly have no excuse.

Vocabulary Lesson

With over one million words at our disposal, how many words does the average person know? That depends on how one defines average and that apparently has to do with education, and about 1,010,649.7 other factors.

Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but there is much debate over the expanse of an individual’s lexicon. One source states that while total vocabulary size varies greatly from person to person, people typically use about 5,000 words in their speech and about twice that many in their writing.

That seems like a reasonable estimate.

A Word Please

With 5,000 spoken words and 10,000 written words in our arsenal, you would think we would be much more successful at communicating. Alas, it’s one thing to possess a large vocabulary, it’s another to use it appropriately.

A word please, any word, can result in poor word choice. And a poor word choice can wreak havoc and lead to unintended consequences.

Precision in Communication

You know up to 10,000 words, and with today’s technology, you have over 1,000,000 more at your disposal. Please, take your time and choose your words wisely.

LiveJournal Tags: words,vocabulary,lexicon,spoken word,written word,written language,word choice,copywriting,precision in communication,ghost writing,freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,blogger

The Super Bowl is a commercial success

Super Bowl weekend has arrived. Enough with the noise from pundits, prognosticators, odds makers, savants, clairvoyants, fortune-tellers, and soothsayers. Let’s get on with it! The fans can finally gather together and immerse ourselves in the revelry of the big event at Super Bowl parties, in saloons or in the comfort of our own homes.

I’m excited to jump into the social media conversation. It’s one thing to get all roiled up with family, friends and neighbors, but it’s an entirely different experience to raise a ruckus on social media. The banter and the barbs…fun!

It will be a hoot to track the reactions and remarks and other’s comments on the reactions and remarks on Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms. Immediate and viral. Around the world and back in seconds. It’s so cool.

Speaking of hoots, as a result of my posts on Super Bowl commercials, I received a direct Tweet on HootSuite, asking if I’m ready for the commercials and inviting me to enter online to win a Toyota. I almost never join contests, but this year, I just might. Why not?

Why not indeed. I am so ready…let the Super Bowl commercials begin.

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

Where’s the drama with Super Bowl commercials anymore?

There was a time when the introduction of new model year automobiles was an event. Dealerships would bring the new vehicles in under the cover of night. All windows were whited out so peepers couldn’t steal an early glimpse and photojournalists couldn’t get a picture for publication prior to the unveiling.

The buying public couldn’t wait for the big day to arrive. The anticipation was palpable.

Super Secretive

Super Bowl commercials used to enjoy the same build-up. Advertisers might drop hints at what the viewers were going to see, but the actual creative and all other elements of their commercials were kept under tight wraps until they aired Super Bowl Sunday.

The viewing public couldn’t wait for the big day to arrive. The anticipation was palpable.

Not so anymore.

Now we can see most every commercial that’s going to air during the Super Bowl broadcast online a week or more prior to the game. There are several portals with HD videos staged and a description of the creative. Mainstream media and scores of web publications have been writing about the commercials ad nauseum since the day after the conference championships were contested. Even search engines kick up scores of images from the commercials.

Talk about letting the air out of the balloon.

Instant Everything

It is a reflection on our instant everything in America.

We want to win the lottery, hit it big at the casino, buy that stock that hockey sticks inside of a year or sue somebody rotten so we can become instant millionaires.

We want to know the sex of our baby as soon as possible so we can choose the name, fill out the baby registry with gender-specific items and set up the nursery in the proper colors.

And we apparently want to see the Super Bowl commercials before the Super Bowl. If we could see the gridiron contest prior to Super Bowl Sunday, we’d probably settle for that, too.

Is it just me, or does this mindset sort of take all of the drama out of life?

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

It’s a Super Bowl commercial, can you name the product?

CBS aired the Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2012 one-hour special program this evening. This is the 12th year for the segment. Advertising professionals and the companies featured in the show each year must be filled with glee. Big bucks were spent creating these Super Bowl commercials and paying for the media time in previous years. Tonight, they’re all going to air free of charge.

In a twist of irony, other advertisers will be paying for the time.

Priceless.

While perusing the various write-ups on the television special, I came across this argument in The Montreal Gazette:

“As anyone who appreciates a really good ad knows — heaven knows, there are enough bad ads — it’s the ad that counts, not the product behind it. An ad may be designed to sell a product, but few of us, when remembering a great ad, can name the product behind it.”

Does the reporter seriously believe his own words? I find it preposterous and a tad sensational to put forth this assertion. The backdrop is absurd. We’re talking about the greatest commercials to ever air during the Super Bowl.  

“…few of us, when remembering a great ad, can name the product behind it.”

On the contrary, it’s a virtual lock that a majority of viewers will recall the product or service. In each of these commercials, the product tends to be front and center. Even when the ad has a superstar spokesperson, most of us will remember the product, and possibly even the company that owns the brand.

Here’s a quick test

Two 2011 Super Bowl commercials with celebrities. Can you name the product, service and/or company?

1. Eminem
2. Danica Patrick

The answers came to you immediately, didn’t they?

Even in this classic Super Bowl commercial from 1993 featuring two of the biggest celebrities in their respective sport (one being a global icon for the sport and a certain brand of shoe*), I’ll bet you can name the athletes and recall the product brand and the company.

Where do you stand

Do you agree with the reporter for The Montreal Gazette? Do you recall really good ads, but fail to remember the product brands they promote?

Or did you ace my quick test and therefore you agree with me? Make your stand in the Comment box.

LiveJournal Tags: Super Bowl commercials,CBS,The Greatest Super Bowl Commercials 2012,television advertising,tv commercial,copywriting,advertising recall,precision in communication,ghost writing,ad copy freelance,marketing communications consultant,social media writer,copywriter,blogger

*Extra points if you can name the shoe company, the shoe brand and describe the logo.