Posts

The new business opportunities right in front of you

Do you spend too much time trying to get new customers, when you could use it more effectively winning it from existing ones? Some years ago I was freelancing at a big, famous agency. I noticed they never seemed to pitch and I thought perhaps they’d lost their edge and were failing to get on […]

5 examples of packaging copy I wish I’d written

According to research, shoppers make an average of 70% of their purchasing decisions at the point of sale.* That gives marketers a brilliant opportunity to turn those people into customers in the store. The trouble is, retailers won’t always let you advertise on in-store posters or shelf wobblers. So what can you do? Look at […]

Four tips to help you avoid producing junk mail

No one should write, produce or have to receive junk mail. It wastes marketing budgets, not to mention precious natural resources. And it annoys vast numbers of recipients who aren’t interested in what’s on offer. The following is an account of an experience I had. I hope it will help you prevent your direct mail […]

A new life for old media: 10 examples of online brands using TV, print and DM

Some say traditional advertising is dead. Or dying pretty quickly. They say we’re living in a post-advertising age, where the “interruptive” ad no longer works. I say nonsense. Below are examples of companies using old media to grow their digital-age brands. Before jumping ahead though, allow me to indulge in a little rant. Not so […]

Do you really need an endline?

Whatever happened to the advertising slogan? It hasn’t disappeared; you still see endlines under quite a few logos. McDonalds still says “I’m lovin’ it”. Barack Obama used “Change you can believe in” to help him get elected. And a lot of local brands here in the UK continue to use endlines/straplines/slogans or whatever you want […]

Disposable freelancers

Are you letting your freelance creatives go too soon? Of course I’m going to encourage you to keep freelancers employed for longer. After all, I am one. But if you’ll indulge me a bit, you’ll see that I also have your interest at heart. You’ll often hear freelance copywriters and art directors complain they hardly […]

MINI – now that’s a desirable brand

I was walking down the street when I saw a little boy point excitedly. “Look Mum!” he shouted, “a MINI!” It made me think: Would a kid shout “Hey Mum – a Mondeo!” or “Wow – a Vauxhall!”? Not likely, I thought. Then last week, in Germany, there was a competition to win a MINI. […]

Is Groupon’s copy driving its multi-billion dollar success?

According to Mashable, Groupon are preparing for an initial public offering that would value the deal-of-the-day website at $15–$20 billion. It was only last December when Google tried to buy Groupon for $6 billion. So how did this company, just over two years old, become so successful so fast? Well I don’t know. If I […]