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Plain English and Authentic Communication

Plain English & Authentic Communication

If you’re concerned that you might be on the road to unlocking consumption occasions, we‘d be happy to talk to you about a sense check on the language you’re using and some recommendations for improvement – as and if necessary.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a company with a really impressive brand. One day the lawyers arrived and slapped a whole bunch of new rules on it, one of which was that it now had to capitalise BRAND in all of its external communication.

Come on – the communicators said – it looks ridiculous and, as this is earned media we’re talking about, it’s not going to survive into actual coverage and, more than anything, it is wholly inauthentic. No, said the lawyers, you don’t understand. You will do as you are told and whenever you mention the brand, you will refer to it as BRAND.

All the joy and spontaneity that you’ll find in a young, growing brand, or in a new industry sector, or a start-up company was sucked away overnight. And, probably as a knock-on effect, there was a shift in the language used when talking about the brand – notably it moved away from plain English, from how people actually talk, to how the brand guardians think people talk.

It’s not an uncommon phenomenon. Lots of big brands have suffered the same fate. Here, for example, is a compare and contrast – two food brands, in a 2020 BBC article about changing eating patterns during the lockdown:

“With so many meals being consumed at home it has unlocked many more occasions for consumption bringing families together at mealtimes.”

and

“We knew straight away with more people cooking and eating at home that it would go bananas and May was our biggest month ever.”

The first is a food company with a big brand of sausages. Roughly translated, it says ‘with so many meals being eaten at home, bringing families together, there are more opportunities than ever to enjoy your favourite foods’. Go further – replace ‘foods’ with ‘sausages’, why not? But ‘unlocking consumption occasions’? This isn’t how real people talk.

The second is a young company with a growing brand of tofu – which, the lawyers would say, is not bananas. But as there were no lawyers there, the spokesperson was able to sound genuinely excited about the success the company was enjoying.

And the moral of the story? Twofold. As communicators, we have to realise that the larger and more successful a business or brand becomes, the more rules there are around what you can and can’t do and what you can and can’t say. And we need to work within those.

However, as communicators we have a duty to ensure that the brands, companies and organisations in our care are remaining authentic, using plain English and explaining themselves in the language that their stakeholders would use.

If you’re concerned that you might be on the road to unlocking consumption occasions, we‘d be happy to talk to you about a sense check on the language you’re using and some recommendations for improvement – as and if necessary.

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Communication Training Content Corporate Communication PR

The Art Of The Story

The art of the story

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, at the heart of every piece of communication is a story.

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, at the heart of every piece of communication is a story. It might be a story that wants to be told, or needs to be told, or has to be told. It might be a good story, it might be a dull story, it might be – heaven help us – a bad news story. No matter – there’s no communication without a story.

A good story, one that leaps out at you, one that grabs the attention, is a joy to work with. We were fortunate enough, not so long ago, to be involved with the launch of a new company in the technology space – and, hell, did they have the story. An indigenous company, first in the sector, with a billion euro project that will create more than a thousand jobs. This was news.

Which was reflected in the results – by the end of the week, we were able to report more than 50 pieces of coverage, including TV, radio, national, regional and trade print and online and a smattering of international titles. Probably more importantly, our client’s ‘phone lines were going like the Batfone on a bad evening in Gotham.

Now – obviously – something like this doesn’t come along every day. Most of the time, stories are smaller, or more local, more specialist or simply a result of your ‘business as usual’.

Sometimes you might think that you haven’t got a story at all – but don’t panic.

Broadly speaking, there are a handful of things that make news. If you can find one or two of them in your story – or add them as extra elements – then your communication will be that much more effective.

They Are (in no particular order)

As Tom Cruise famously shouted: “show me the money”. Big numbers make news, whether it’s the cost of something (the million-euro Mont Blanc pen on sale at London’s City Airport), investment in something (our clients and their billion euro project) or money spent on something (millions of euro to provide new medical equipment).

Everyone is fascinated by the rise of the machines. Technology that makes lives easier (Siri, Alexa), technology that shapes the future (contactless payments) technology that was science fiction a few years ago (driverless cars). The current massive interest in AI is a case in point.

Things that touch people’s lives, that they can relate to, that are important to them, or that simply give them a warm, fuzzy feeling. Think job creation, think community initiatives, think food and drink and leisure, think health and exercise and – if all else fails – think cuddly kittens.

Because there’s nothing like a good argument, or a challenge to the status quo. Proposing a new way of doing things, questioning established procedures, espousing causes, targeting the unpopular – all of these can get you noticed and talked about. Corporate Health Warning – being controversial can attract unwelcome attention and less-than-positive responses. Preparation, thought and planning are necessary.

The lives of the beautiful, the famous, the rich and the powerful are fascinating. An endorsement from a celeb (whether it’s a politician in a photo opp, a sportsman at your fundraiser, or a blogger talking you up) adds another dimension to what you’re doing and can help your communication cut through.

At the risk of being repetitive – a good story is a joy to work with. If you’d like some help telling your story, we’d be more than happy to have a chat.

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