Strategy
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 [...]
Edit
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?
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.
The whatever-you-want-it-to-be society
The Big Society isn’t an idea, it’s a bunch of thoughts lumped together under one woolly label. It’s supposed to be simple and easy to ‘get’, but it’s just confusing. And it’s the kind of mistake strategists and consultants make all the time.
Ah, now we get it.
Take a brand, an ‘insight’, some half-baked positioning and a crowbar. Put them together and what happens? This…
NatWest has commitment issues
We will aim to. It’s the number one cop-out favoured by over-cautious lawyers, scaredy cat copywriters, and commitment-phobic executives the world over. So it’s a bit surprising to see it’s got a starring role in NatWest’s latest campaign – ahem – Our commitment to becoming Britain’s most Helpful Bank.
Oh no, not another theory about Apple
Brands and agencies endlessly bang on about Apple’s brand in meetings. It’s boring. We think it’s time to to close the MacBook once and for all.
How to write a strategy
How to get to the point. How to structure your ideas clearly. How to involve the right people (without letting any of them mess it up). This isn’t a guide to doing a SWOT analysis or the McKinsey way. This is the bit they forgot to cover on the MBA course. How to write a [...]
