We All Need Words
Jargon isn’t the problem and ‘Plain English’ isn’t the answer.
Every year the Plain English Campaign gives out gobbledegook awards to the worst examples of incomprehensible writing at work. But most writing problems in an organisation can’t be solved with a Plain English crystal mark.
An open letter to Sir Richard Branson
Hello Richard, A lot of newspapers this morning are talking about how you’ve bought Northern Rock for a bargain price at the expense of us taxpayers. We’ll grumble to the chancellor about that. But seeing as you (and some private equity suits) have bought it, we hope some good will come of it. Richard, this [...]
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Sales are down. Research shows you’re squeezed on all sides. It’s getting harder to pigeonhole your customers into a neat ABC1234 PowerPoint. Meanwhile, brighter, smaller, more nimble companies are snapping at your heels and stealing your thunder. So what do you do? Outwit your competitors and start developing newer, shinier products? Or do you edit?
If you set up a free school what would yours be like?
One thing’s for sure, ours wouldn’t be like the West London Free School, the new school run by parents and led by the author and Telegraph columnist Toby Young.
How to sum up your brand in a line
How to describe your brand in a few words. How to make it really, properly, actually different. How to sell it in.
KC: local words for local people
‘Proud to be part of local life’ – that’s KC’s slogan. They’re a phone and broadband company in East Yorkshire. We’ve been helping them make these seven words into more than a line, so they can show how proud they really are to be a local company (without having to say it all the time).
Innocent’s answer to tummy rumbles
We’ve written a guide to nicking stuff and leaving notes for innocent’s new recipe book. Written Ranted in our finest passive aggressive.
Meet our new recruit
DEAR VALENTINE, THIS IS TO TELL YOU ARE MY FRIEND AS WELL AS MY VALENTINE. AND THAT I INTEND TO WRITE YOU YOU LOTS OF LETTERS… (From the Olivetti Valentine user manual.)
On the Underground. On the Subway.
Here are two ads from ING Direct. One’s from London’s Underground, one’s from New York City’s Subway.
