If we can nudge behaviour on bottle returns, can we apply the same thinking elsewhere?
The greenwashing playbook
(Not a how-to but rather a please don’t) I unapologetically loathe fake grass/fake lawns. It is my personal view that not only do they look unsightly, but they are truly awful for the environment on many levels. Gardens should be mowed (or not), not hoovered. And they...
Accessible digital content – Alt text
Alt text, or alternative text, is a brief description of an image or other visual content that's read aloud by screen readers to help people with visual or cognitive disabilities understand the content. Alt text is an essential part of making digital content...
QR codes – why?
TL;DR I’m not saying don’t use QR (quick response) codes, I’m saying provide alternatives as well. Personally I’d put QR codes in the marketing box of tricks labelled ‘just because you can doesn’t mean you should’. So what are QR codes? They are like a square barcode...
Venn diagrams, the Euros and Jane McDonald
It IS important to know your audience
Sorry not sorry – The corporate apology
Us Brits are becoming globally renowned for failing to deliver sincere and effective corporate apologies.
Charitable words – Social media and organisational communication
Recognising the potential benefits and risks involved as well as having a well-thought-out social media strategy is essential
Overly complex copy – why?
Imaging getting a brief of ‘make this as difficult as possible’? If it was a brief for an escape room, a maze or a crossword then maybe. But not in the world of copywriting. I can only imagine that overly complex was definitely part of the brief for whoever did the...
Rubbish copy – nudge on bins
Every time I go away I come back with some ‘don’t they do this thing better than we do where I live’ notion. This time it was all about bins. If you’ve been around these parts for a while you will know I am a big fan of nudge/behavioural change. Can the wording on...
Shingles knows what now?
Let’s look at health-related copywriting. A telly ad I didn’t understand has prompted me to write about it. I’m talking about that shingles ad. “Get to know shingles because shingles knows you.” I think it says. I’ve seen it loads of times and yet I still have no idea...