creative

Ask, ‘What’s your story?’

Sometimes the best stories come from executives’ own experiences with the problem or situation.

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, uses this personal story in his letter to shareholders to illustrate the problem with executive spending:

“Corporate bigwigs often complain about government spending, criticizing bureaucrats who they say spend taxpayers’ money differently from how they would if it were their own.

… Read the full article

Craft a sassy sound bite

When the Federal Trade Commission needed to explain why the agency has decided not to develop a do-not-spam registry — officials feared that spammers would target people on the list — a spokesperson said:

“You’ll be spammed if we do — and spammed if we don’t.”

You’ve got to love that sound bite!… Read the full article

Verbify a name

‘My goal in life is to become an adjective’

I was thrilled last month when one of my clients asked me to “Wylie-ize” part of her website.… Read the full article

Boost learning, understanding with creative copy

Tap the 1:1 concrete-comprehension ratio

Two professors from Texas A&M University and one from the University of the Andes aimed to find out whether concrete or abstract information was more understandable, memorable and interesting.… Read the full article

Grab attention with creative copy

Make readers’ brains light up

After I presented a Make Your Copy More Creative workshop recently, an attendee pulled me aside. “The speeches I write are just 20 minutes long,” he said.… Read the full article

Make size and scale visual

How tiny is tiny? How huge is huge?

How small is small? One-third the size of a ladybug? The size of a sprinkle on an ice cream cone?… Read the full article

Give numbers context

How can you help people see 6,000?

When 6,000 power poles went down in New Orleans during a series of ice storms, Entergy Senior Communications Specialist David Lewis needed a way to make that number tangible in an executive speech.… Read the full article

‘Get the name of the dog’

Name names, number numbers

I still remember — more than a decade later — one of the thousand heartbreaking stories about Hurricane Katrina victims, an AP report about the Superdome evacuation:

Many people had dogs, and they could not take them on the bus.

… Read the full article

Tell your process story

‘How we make it’ can be a compelling narrative

The other day, my husband came home with a bottle of Kelt — not his usual cognac.… Read the full article

‘Julius Caesar drank here’

Bottled water makers use stories to set their products apart

Want a little drama to go with your drink? I read this story off a bottle of Blenheim water:

“Within the majestic setting of Blenheim palace, an ancient spring has been supplying natural mineral water to king, queen, duke and duchess for centuries.… Read the full article