Writers of Short Sentences
July 3, 2009
by Bill Alpert
Perhaps you’re old enough to remember video of John Cameron Swayze delivering the iconic Timex slogan: Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking. Fans of the recent TV series Mad Men were recently reminded of the classic Think Small print ad campaign for Volkswagen. Both ads were conceived and penned by the legendary copywriter Julian Koenig.
Seems like great copywriting is largely a lost art. A recent blog post by from a well known e-mail marketing company posited that “e-mail copy that sells” must include benefits, subheads, short blocks of conversational copy, a well crafted subject line, etc. All of these elements refer to form, and little falls to content. There’s nothing about reaching out to the reader with a single coherent message. Nothing about capturing the readers’ imagination. Nothing about ideas that are compelling and memorable.
And then there’s the disturbing adulation of psychological trickery in web marketing content as well as the ascent of highly paid Google AdWords strategists. All of this seems to nicely coincide with the collapse of our economic system. It’s like the dot com bubble all over again, this time accompanied by credit default swaps and insanely over-leveraged financial institutions. Lack of substance might be the appropriate words to sum things up.
In the good ol’ days, marketers were gifted writers who worked in a commercial setting. Though these writers of short sentences weren’t revered by their peers, today one can find much to appreciate in their work. A fascinating account of the advertising world, including a contemporary interview of Mr. Koenig can be heard on a recent installment of This American Life.
Today’s e-conomy can be looked at as a house of cards. Much is free or cheap on the internet, and the temptation to do-it yourself is the order of the day. The problem is that talented graphic designers, skilled commercial artists and great copywriters (for that matter all stripes of writers) need to eat too. Ironically, their talents are needed now more than ever.
Graphic Design, Death and Opportunity
June 12, 2009
Graphic Design: The Corpse and Your Opportunity
Over a decade ago typographer and graphic designer Kathleen Tinkel wrote:
Armed with our Macs, we presumed to compete with our creative partners (typographers, illustrators, airbrush artists, retouchers and more), helping to put some trades out of business. But the computer isn’t as capable as a talented artist or skilled artisan, so we traded quality for glitzy tricks and techniques, and turned ourselves into high-tech production artists in the process… Our clients…believed the ads that said they could dispense with expensive designers, and instead began to buy their own Macs and WYSIWYG software… Is graphic design dead?
Personally, I’m prone to agree with Monty Python and wheel out the discipline of graphic design on a cart. This opinion is based on countless experiences over the last decade, as well as the dearth of thoughtful, well designed print in all but a small minority of examples currently in circulation.
One such experience was the recent phone inquiry from a new customer excited at the prospect of fancy color business cards now within her $50 budget. When advised that she’d need to supply a ready to print PDF or application file, there was a moment’s hesitation. “It’s just a logo, a line and a little bit of text. Isn’t there any way I can get around paying someone to set that up?”
All too typical.
After some thought, it occurred to me that today many a person would easily shell out $75 to get his/her car washed and waxed but never even consider a similar amount paid to a graphic designer to create a vibrant design which could and should last for years to come. Design is dead, because today all too few marketers see its inherent value.
Yes, creating your own home-brew design on a PC or Mac can be an immersive experience. Hours fly by, and we become increasingly attached to our creation with each passing minute. Regardless of its merit.
Herein lies your opportunity: Invest in good design. With so many routine layouts in circulation these days, your own professionally designed presentation will likely jump off the page and grab your customers’ attention.
And, also you’ll have time to use your computer for something that’s fun.
inkd: an istock for graphic design?
June 5, 2009
Does a stock market for graphic design represent a threat or an opportunity for graphic designers? Hard to say, though certainly it appears to be a viable resource for end users, or just about anyone short on time or inspiration.
These aren’t the typical junk layouts you see floating around cyberspace. I’m willing to bet more than a few folks would give up $39 for a well crafted business card design. Then again, no template can emulate the life experience of a top notch graphic designer. Still, inkd could be a boon to the design challenged who have no budget!
Parenthetically Writing
June 3, 2009
Does attention to detail in your writing make you look smarter? Does it improve your marketing skills? It’s not hard to make a case for that. Just as clean fingernails and polished shoes help make a positive impression, so does your attention to grammar, syntax and punctuation.
So here (courtesy of Empire State College, NY) is a helpful guide to alleviate a frequently heard question: should one put the period inside or outside the parenthesis?
Short Answer: Punctuate correctly in and around parentheses. If a whole sentence is inside parentheses, then put the period inside the end parenthesis. If only part of the sentence is in parentheses, then the period goes outside of the end parenthesis.
Examples: Parentheses are like polite back seat drivers. (They interrupt to explain additional information that the reader should know.) Parentheses can hold explanations, illustrations, or clarifications forty (Byron was 36; Nathanael West, Rimbaud, and Robert Burns were 37; Thomas Wolfe and Pushkin were 38; and Dylan Thomas was 39). I told him I absolutely believe in marriage (as a cure for the temporary insanity of infatuation). Parentheses are also used to set off dates, provide reference information, and to enumerate a list.
• Angela Merici (1470-1540), an Italian, founded the Ursulines in 1535, an unconventional religious order in which women took vows but lived at home and taught in the community.
• The Chinese poet Li Po (c.700-762), a “lighthearted winebibber,” fell out of a boat and was drowned when he tried to kiss and embrace the moon’s reflection in the water (Hendrickson 111).
• The reason there are so many popular bike trails outside of Washington, D.C., is that the land is mostly flat (see contour map on page 6).
• If your toddler does not sleep through the night there are several questions to ask: (1) Have you developed a soothing bedtime ritual? (2) When checking on your child, do you accidentally wake him or her? (3) Is your toddler afraid of the dark? (4) Is your toddler waking regularly in the night hungry or thirsty? (5) Does your toddler use a pacifier or “cuddly” so he or she is able to comfort himself or herself?
Graphic Moment Online
May 20, 2009
If you’re one of those students who longed for the days the teacher dimmed the lights and rolled out the film projector, this is for you!
The Graphic Moment Online Edition: Bleeding Edge, The Movie (suitable for general audiences).
New Tools, Same Old Traps
May 6, 2009
OK, I love the web, and likely you do too. Still, I’ve been hard pressed to understand how “social networking” comes into play for business marketing. Most of what I’ve seen falls into the category of shameless self promotion. And that’s a shame.
Certain hard truths will always be unavoidable, be it in print, direct mail or on the web. Foremost among these, nobody else cares about your self-serving PR message. On the other hand, if you’re willing to share your knowledge and gifts with world and do so without the expectation of reciprocity, the universe will amply reward you.
Giving away the store may not be what your sales department is looking for but on the other hand, generosity is the only message that will ring out above the din of myriad competing sales messages that buzz overhead like mosquitoes in a swamp.
There’s no quick fix here, but if you’re willing to invest in a valid online strategy, I’ve posted some audio that might be useful. It’s from a webinar entitled Taking Your Brand Online hosted by John Jantsch with an all-star panel including Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan and David Meerman Scott. Grab a latte and put in an hour with some of the most interesting online personalities around. (Note: Click on the article title above if you don’t see the play button)
The Perfect Website
March 27, 2009
Well of course, it doesn’t exist.
Still, too many sites seem to miss the mark; they’re stuck in old world thinking about marketing and advertising. They focus their engergy on promoting a brand, or product benefits. Yes, people still do buy the brand, but using a website to promote a brand misses the point.
The brand message rings a little hollow in the wake of Enron and AIG. People want to know who they’re really dealing with. Is your website a window into the soul of your organization? Or is it a billboard designed to fit into a 19 inch montor?
If you’re in a small business or professional practice, your website is a huge opportunity, done right. You can spend your energy trying to look like a mega corporation. Or then again, you can let your website (and the rest of your marketing) give your customers a taste of what it’s really like to do business with you. You can freely share your expertise in the perfect medium. After all, the web was designed from the ground up for the exchange of information.
Big or small, there’s really no downside to being generous, even with “proprietary” information. Doing so establishes credibility and maximizes exposure. It generates good will in a way that an advertising message cannot. Anyway, people expect free information, freely given, on the web. Bucking that trend will be an uphill battle.
The perfect website doesn’t have to be pretty, though that doesn’t hurt. Instead, it should be fresh and vibrant, dymamic to the needs of the moment. It should be easy to maintain and practical. No need to hire a programmer on a daily basis, please. A great site is clear and consise in style, avoiding the burden of clutter.
A perfect site is one that you will continually perfect. You’ll be adding content, checking traffic, and search results on a regular basis. In short, if your site is gathering dust, it’s destined to be a dud in your marketing mix.
Finally, the perfect site complements the rest of your marketing, in print, and in the real world. It requires your energy and creativity on an ongoing basis.
The perfect website: the moment it’s done it’s time to start over.
Organic Marketing, Part 2: What’s Your Story?
February 4, 2009
It must have been the 1960s. Still, I can still remember the agony of my junior high history class. It was a mind numbing succession of dates, names and places. The teacher, who may have been old enough to have been present at the signing of the Mayflower Compact, spoke in a monotone drawl that could induce a state of stupor within seconds. I slept.
Where was the torment of the wrenching decision by handful of patriots that declared indendence from Britain? Where was the gripping oratory of John Adams? Where was the story of sacrifice and hardship of Abigail Adams, and the eloquence of Thomas Jefferson’s pen? Why did my classmates have to endure a year that was filled with so little, when America’s history is teeming with gripping stories just waiting to be told.
If you’d like to learn how to write copy for your next newsletter or direct mail letter, just watch HBO. Rent a DVD of John Adams and enter the world of our early patriots. Fear, passion, anger, suffering, laughter and joy; the full scope of human emotion. Tell a real story, and capture the minds of your listeners. It’s genetically coded in the human race.
So much of what arrives in a mailbox these days is devoid of anything a living breathing human being can relate to. Postcards and brochures are often no more interesting than a supermarket shopping list. Newsletters: thinly disguised billboards. Web pages: just add liquid and you’ve got your own website in 30 minutes or less. Nice to look at, but no substance.
Is it any wonder that high and low, folks are clamoring: “stop the spam?”
Our lives are filed with stories. Turn your senses in their direction. Be it lawn service or Attorney at Law, you’ve got a story to tell. People will listen.
