I don’t love calling my bank at the best of times. It usually means I’ve overspent again. But one recent call left me seething, all because of a single word…
Copy Chat
The EU: explaining the little things in a big issue
With many voters unsure how they’ll vote in an EU referendum, how can the ‘in’ and ‘out’ camps win them over? The right words are the only answer…
CopyCon rambles #3: Web project woes
OK, these really are my final thoughts from last year's Copywriting Conference... UX marks the spot One of the most practical talks I heard all day was by Tim Fidgeon, Digital Marketing Trainer and Consultant. It was all about user experience - or UX, as those in the...
CopyCon rambles #2: I swear, by the moon and the stars…
Before I forget, just a little more from last week's Copywriters' Conference... The last talk of the day came from Doug Kessler, Creative Director at Velocity Partners. He talked about brands who successfully use swear words in their marketing. Not awkward cringey...
WEP: Whose equality party?
When it comes to politics - what's in a name? How do you show that a party about women's rights isn't just for women, but for everyone? This week I went to a networking event run by the Women's Equality Party. If you don't know it yet, it's a new political party that...
Ice bucket campaign lands charity in hot water
The people of Twitter are disgruntled again. No, it’s not Katie Hopkins this time. In fact it’s an unlikely villain: the charity Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Lessons in creme pat, cream horns – and creativity
Before we start: this post contains spoilers about the finale of the Great British Bake Off. So, for those of you haven’t seen it yet, for the love of god DO IT NOW. And for everyone else... I hope you were as thrilled as I was to see Nadiya crowned champion of the...
CopyCon rambles #1: What does Twitter mean for tone of voice?
How come some brands’ most successful tweets are, in many ways, completely off-brand? And what does that mean for us writers who create tone of voice guidelines for clients? At last week’s Professional Copywriters’ Conference, I heard a talk by David Levin: a social...
Words, meaning, and looking like a weapon
The English language is a subtle thing. A single word can send many bells of meaning ringing in your head. For instance, a couple of years ago I was horrified when a wedding venue emailed me to confirm the details for my ‘function’ (function?? Like a day of boring...
Monster ideas from the Ministry of Stories
Last weekend I went to a workshop run by the Ministry of Stories, an organisation that helps children to develop skills and self-esteem through storytelling. In the workshop, we - a group of amateur and professional writers - had to collaborate to produce our own...