Talking shift

Mar 30, 2021 – Our take

Be less Burger King: three ways to write for everyone

When it comes to inclusive language, it’s not the thought that counts. Even if you have the very best intentions, your words still have the power to offend.

Consulting

Mar 29, 2021 – Our take

Words can change behaviours – if there’s a will and a way

Changing behaviours is tricky. We need to want to do it (The Will) and be able to do it (The Way). And the parts of the brain in charge of motivation and learning new skills are completely separate. So if you want people to change the way they write, you need to work on both. Here’s how...

Consulting Brand & marketing

Jan 12, 2021 – News

Unprecedented copy: the best brand writing of 2020

There were new words: coronacoaster, furlough, maskne. There were old words: clichés landing in our inboxes quicker than you can say now more than ever. There were frustratingly woolly words from governments, and plenty of brilliant words, too.

Brand & marketing

Dec 21, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Why is ‘why’ so powerful?

Google’s Year in Search 2020 video is all about asking ‘why’. From ‘why is it called covid-19’ to ‘why are people protesting’ to ‘why is Mars red’. (Be warned, it’s an emotional watch.)

Writing

Oct 20, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Language barrier: why your words could be shutting readers out

Reading that list of words probably made you feel one of two ways, depending on whether or not you work in academia. To the academic, those words might’ve felt natural – like speaking in a familiar dialect.

Oct 05, 2020 – Our take

Tone-deaf crisis comms, corrected

We’ve all come across them during “these uncertain times” – tone-deaf, cliché, or generally unhelpful Covid communications.

Sep 10, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Part 3: keeping everyone on-message

You’ve put out your statement around Black Lives Matter on social media. You’ve added a banner on your website, explaining what you’re doing to support the movement. Job done, right?

Training

Sep 07, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Part 2: say it with conviction

If your biggest fear about reactive messages is sounding inauthentic, don’t just pay attention to what you say. Pay attention to how you say it. Certain words, clichés or types of language signal to readers that you’re not being genuine. Here’s how to keep it real.

Sep 04, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Part 1: Get your story straight

Brands needing to react to the news is nothing new. But between a global pandemic and the growth of the #Black Lives Matter movement, 2020 has made topical messaging pretty much a full-time job for marketing departments.

Writing

Apr 23, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

The science of emails #3: know the feeling you want to get across

More than any other type of comms, emails run the risk of coming across the wrong way. And when it comes to communicating about coronavirus, the particular words we choose matter more than ever.

Writing

Apr 22, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

The science of emails #2: get over yourself

More than any other type of comms, emails run the risk of coming across the wrong way. And when it comes to communicating about coronavirus, the particular words we choose matter more than ever.

Writing

Apr 20, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

The science of emails #1: write adult-to-adult

More than any other type of comms, emails run the risk of coming across the wrong way. And when it comes to communicating about coronavirus, the particular words we choose matter more than ever.

Writing

Apr 09, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Woolly words won’t beat coronavirus

We’ll keep this brief. Firstly because other writers, Tweeters and politicians have already noted it, and secondly because we’ve covered this topic before. (It’s kind of our thing.) But one last time: if you want someone to do something, please make it clear.

Writing

Mar 13, 2020 – News

When business is on hold, learning doesn’t have to be

You might already have had to change up how you work over the last couple of weeks. But even if you haven’t yet, there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a huge effect on businesses.

Training

Feb 18, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Wading in on why play has a place in workshops

On BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine was talking about a workshop where a group from Walsall Council were asked to use Lego in an activity. The participants weren’t happy and the workshop was being mocked online.

Jan 27, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

A theory of funny

Here’s my theory: In life, things can be one-beat, two-beat or three-beat funny. And you have to pick the right number of beats for your message, audience, and how long you have their attention for.

Writing

Jan 10, 2020 – Wordy thoughts

Our job spec dos and don’ts, inspired by Dominic Cummings

When Dominic Cummings, chief aide to the Prime Minister, posted job ads on his blog recently, it caused quite a stir.

Dec 20, 2019 – Wordy thoughts

The Writer’s 2019 round-up

We do like a writing geek out. (If we didn’t, we’d have to think about putting our name out to tender.) And we don’t discriminate. Ads, road signs, mum’s to-do list – if it gets us talking, it’s going in our bank of favourites.

Writing

Dec 12, 2019 – Wordy thoughts

The brands ripping up the political playbook

Religion and politics. Not just the two things you don’t talk about at the dinner table, but also two things that most brands have steered clear of in the past. Or, if they did go there, they’d stick to gentle jibes or statements so general they couldn’t offend anyone.

Nov 04, 2019 – Wordy thoughts

An authorly common buzzword

We’ve been thinking about ‘storytelling’. It’s an idea you hear about a lot, but if we’re all going to use the S word, it makes sense to be clear on what it means. Here are three distinct types of storytelling, for a start.

Consulting