Stay positive!
December 7, 2009
I could tell you that my new car isn’t using as much gas as the older model I previously owned, but much like the way I drive, the most direct route is always best. It’s far better to say that my new car saves more gas. Better still would be to say that it’s amazingly fuel-efficient. Writing should always be direct, telling the reader what is rather than what isn’t. Who wants to hear that they are less offensive when they could be called pleasant?
Keeping statements in the positive asserts authority and directs your readers, depending on where we place the focus. I work with a cosmetic surgeon who uses many new technologies in his practice, such as ultrasonic scalpels and pain pumps, to alleviate pain for his patients. Instead of promoting these advances by saying he is able to “reduce pain,” it’s much better to completely remove the word “pain” and instead say “minimize discomfort.” While it’s important not to mislead, you should focus on the benefits as much as possible.
As another example, instead of saying that a cleaner “leaves no unpleasant odor,” how about it “leaves a fresh scent.” Rather than identifying the product or service with a negative association, we can make positive connections and images in our readers’ minds. Depending on the words we choose, we can soothe the senses or repel and alarm. Lead your readers down a straight path and show them the roses along the way.
“I write as straight as I can, just as I walk as straight as I can, because that is the best way to get there.” – H.G. Wells
TV still has us hooked.
November 18, 2009
I have a home office, so I’m tooling away on my computer much more than I should be each day. However, a recent study on video media usage by Ball State University’s Center for Media Design helped put a few things in perspective for me. Their new Video Consumer Mapping Study tracked how, where, how often and for how long consumers are exposed to media. They found that television remains extremely prevalent in people’s lives, with consumers spending an average of 5.9 hours in daily viewing time. The largest percentage of this usage is live TV rather than playback. What was more shocking to me, though, was the total consumer screen time during a day averaged just over 8.5 hours. That’s a lot of time spent with a digital friend.
The study categorized media into four types of screens: traditional television (including live and DVR); computer (Web use, email, instant messaging and video); mobile devices (including texting and video); and all other screens such as out-of-home advertising. Although the composition of consumers’ screen media time varied across age groups, total screen time was pretty similar overall. Younger baby boomers (ages 45-54) had the highest consumption of media with an average daily screen time of just over 9.5 hours.
My first thought is that 9.5 hours is an extremely great night’s sleep. But it’s also a tremendous amount of exposure and creates a vast opportunity to get your message out in front of an audience. The study disputed several commonly held beliefs about media activity:
* Consumers are not channel surfing to avoid ads. TV users were exposed to, on average, 72 minutes per day of TV ads and promos.
* Despite the proliferation of computers and video-capable phones, TV in home still commands the greatest amount of viewing, even among those ages 18-24.
* Even in major metro areas where commute times can be long and radio remains popular, computer usage has replaced radio as the No. 2 media activity. Radio is now third and print media is fourth.
Results from this extensive study are consistent with previous Nielson studies that have found video consumption has never been higher and that TV continues to dominate the media landscape. It’s an interesting look at how we spend our time and good news for advertisers everywhere.
The Grammar Wars
October 27, 2009
I appreciate the value of good writing. As an editor, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the just plain ugly. I’ve also stretched the rules of grammar for a good headline within an ad campaign. Much of the beauty of the English language lies in its ability to change. It’s remarkably flexible and has adapted over time to include new words and interesting phrases. But I find it’s much easier to bend the rules once you actually know them. Take cooking for example. Once you know what flavors work well together, the best use of heat and the difference between a pinch and a dash, then you can begin to experiment.
Finding this fine line between bending and breaking the rules is the subject of a new book, “The Lexicographer’s Dilemma,” by Rutgers English professor Jack Lynch. Salon contributor Laura Miller offers an interesting review of the book, pointing out the two schools of thought on proper English usage. The prescriptive belief is that language experts should dictate how to read and write, while the descriptive thought leans more toward giving guidance.
Apparently Lynch agrees more with the descriptive camp, but sees value in mastering the language because it gives one access to power.
According to Miller, “To protest that the language police are only protecting the accuracy, precision and clarity of our tongue, Lynch lifts a skeptical eyebrow. Many of the most roundly deplored “debasements” of English are nevertheless perfectly comprehensible…The only truly unbreakable rules of grammar and usage are the ones that, when broken, result in a genuine failure to communicate. The rest is a form of covert class warfare, and today’s usage reproofs constitute a status-protecting thump on the head delivered by the upper middle class to uppity members of the lower middle. Thinking of the grammar wars in this light helps explain why they provoke such rage. Much as some people might detest seeing the noun “impact” used as a verb, if a lot of people say it and almost everybody understands it when it’s said, then a coup has been effected. The “verbing” of nouns (or the creation of “nerbs”) has been a flashpoint for the past four or five decades with the growth of business management lingo. Complaints about this point to a particularly American social fissure: between the cultured sensibility of the liberally educated and the can-do utilitarianism of striving MBAs.”
So how much guidance do we need? Before beginning any writing project, it’s important to think about the audience that you want to reach with your message. Obviously, the tone and word selection will vary if you’re writing for 18 to 24-year old men entering college versus Baby Boomers buying a second home. And while the language is flexible, some rules should never be broken. Laughing slyly, the story ended while she typed. Confused yet?
Why are you yelling at me?
October 22, 2009
Ever get a text message or an email that’s all in upper caps? The message feels about ten times louder than normal and I can’t help but bristle. I also wonder why the sender is raising her voice. It’s not that the message necessarily deserves the urgency or impact that the uppercase letters impart. In fact, the message often gets lost amid all the shouting.
This happens frequently in advertising, too. A big, bold headline can be eye-catching. But when everything about the ad jumps out at you at once, your eye doesn’t know where to go first. Bigger can be just, well, bigger. It’s hard for the brain to process what is most important when everything is in boldface. Or starbursts. Or banners and bright lights. When you have this many messages competing for attention, it’s always best to step back and consider what you are trying to accomplish. It may possibly be too much. Try limiting your ad to one or two key messages. You’ll gain clarity and effect, which creates a space that requires less shouting. And then your audience can start listening.
The value of a click.
October 16, 2009
Now that online users are clicking on display ads less and less, should we lower our expectations of online advertising and place less value on the click-through? According to a 2009 study by Starcom USA, the number of people who click on display ads in a month has fallen from 32% of Internet users in July 2007 to only 16% in March 2009. To make matters worse, only 8% of the Internet user base account for 85% of all clicks. So while the other 92% of users may see your ad, most aren’t clicking through to your website or landing page. Yikes.
Certainly there is value in potential customers seeing your ad. Even if a person doesn’t click, the ad has the ability to raise awareness and keep your brand top of mind. And perhaps, this is the value we should measure for display ads, rather than sheer click-throughs. An increase in online and offline sales, a rise in searches for your company, more favorable dialogue about your services and other marketing goals can all be attributed to campaign exposure. Tracking becomes essential, but also can be a bit murky as, ideally, your display ads are being integrated into an overall marketing effort that reaches your customers through a variety of mediums for the greatest frequency and impact.
I work with a national home builder who does an excellent job of tracking leads. But the leads are only as good as the sourcing data. As buyers come in to the sales center, they are asked how they heard about that particular community. While my client relies on a broad mix of online and print advertising, direct mail, community outreach and events, it is their outdoor advertising that consistently ranks highest among traffic drivers. Why? I doubt it’s because their billboards are the most effective medium. It’s more likely that this is the last place the customer received the message. Like a display ad, a billboard is a highly visible marker that may not necessarily help the buyer form an opinion about the product, but it can lead them through the door into the sales center. However, you can’t discount all of the marketing efforts that led them to take notice of the billboard to begin with, giving them a favorable impression of the builder, information about the homes and timely reminders about the value and reasons to purchase until they were ready to buy. The marketing mix is essential. Online ads have a place in this mix too, but perhaps it’s not just to generate click-throughs.
We all come in different shapes.
October 13, 2009
The eWomenNetwork in Austin held their monthly luncheon last week. What a sharp group of women from so many diverse backgrounds. While I enjoyed the chance to head out of my office and make some new connections, I was most looking forward to hearing from the master of networking, Carol Thompson of The Thompson Group. A legend in the Austin business community, she’s delightful in her delivery and gets down to what you need to know. Among her advice for stimulating your career in today’s economy was to know yourself. In the context of shapes, are you a square, a circle, possibly a triangle or more of a squiggly line? It’s important because much of being successful depends on being true to yourself. Draw on your best qualities and talents, and you’re more likely to shine. You’re also more likely to have fun.
When you’re able to connect with your strengths, then building your brand becomes that much easier. Your brand is your reputation and sets you apart from others. This is where powerful marketing begins. I can’t stretch myself and offer up design services, but I can deliver ad copy that is compelling and on target for my client’s audience. This is my brand promise and my value. Know your shape. Define your brand. Then let’s go to market.
