Talking shift

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.

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

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

Mar 07, 2019 – Wordy thoughts

Our favourite words of 1980: the ultimate Throwback Thursday

Gossamer. The UK’s third favourite word, as of 21st September 1980. How do I know that? Well, a while back I bought a copy of The King’s English for 50p at a secondhand bookshop and today, out fluttered a newspaper cutting. And it was all about words. Beautiful words.

May 14, 2018 – Wordy thoughts

Just what the doctor ordered

My running buddy’s a doctor. And while pounding the pavements, she’s given me a few tips on how to get to the point. Because sometimes, it can be a question of life or death.

Writing Customer experience

Apr 09, 2018 – Wordy thoughts

Everything before the but is codswallop

‘I see where you’re coming from, but…’ ‘He’s a nice guy, but…’ ‘We’re really sorry, but…’ But undoes all the words before it Sat in one of many business-y corporate conferences a few years back, our marketing director shared six words that really stuck with me

Writing Training Brand & marketing

Feb 01, 2018 – Wordy thoughts

Churchill’s 10th time lucky: why ‘effortless’ writing is anything but

‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’ No prizes for guessing who said this one, especially as I’ve put his name in the title. Churchill’s words on the Battle of Britain in 1940 are probably some of the most famous in history.

Writing