Tone of voice: fact or fiction?
Is any brand’s tone of voice truly distinctive these days? Or should those who create them be taking a leaf out of a different kind of wordsmith’s book? Read more
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We are innovative? Come on, try a bit harder please.
Many years ago, calling yourself ‘innovative’ used to be, well, innovative. But over time, people started using this abstract word lazily – as a catch-all and without explaining exactly what they meant. Read more
Free From… empathy?
The most important ingredient in a writer’s recipe for success might come as a surprise. But it’s very, very important. And it’s worryingly absent in much of the marketing world. Read more
Nobody ever got fired for writing management jargon…
Richard, with 'rant-mode' on high, has a proper go at the scourge of management jargon and muses on why there’s so much of the foetid stuff about. Read more
Want to be ‘innovative’? Leave it out!
Copywriters generally agree we should try to stem the tide of that over-used, meaningless, unspecific abstract word - innovation. But every company still wants it in their headlines. How innovative is that? Read more
What have the Romans ever done for us?
To that long list John Cleese mentioned in The Life of Brian, we can add the Five Canons of Rhetoric - or the basis of good writing. But what's been good for two thousand years seems to have fallen by the wayside of late. Read more
The man who knew too much
Meet Joe. He's a smart guy, with a brain the size of a planet. He's invented the best widget in the world. Read his story. Spoiler: things don't end well for Joe. Read more
The glorious side effects of blogging
Blogging isn't just good for your business, it's also good for the blogger. But it can feel like hard work. However, frame it differently, and blogging can feel less of a millstone around your neck and more of a milestone in your personal development. Read more
It’s not pedantry, it’s good business
We writers often have the mickey taken out of us because we’re such sticklers for grammar, spelling and punctuation. We get called tedious, annoying and worse. Why let it bother you so much? Can’t you just let it go? Why do you even care? Well, let me explain why. Read more
Writing like Yoda speaks? Stop it, you must.
Why do so many people change how they communicate the second they get a pen or a keyboard in their hands? Why do they go all Yoda? Read more