There’s a reason why marketers should tell stories. My grandsons show me that every time I read to them.
My 4-year-old grandson amazes me with his verbal ability. He’s fascinated with words, and he must pick up a few new ones each day. He wants to know what new words mean, he wants to know the exact names of things, and he wants to tell you—constantly.
The 2-year-old joyfully chatters and babbles. One day, I watched, amused, as he hosted an imaginary tea party for a dozen stuffed animals (coffee, soup, pretzels and juice were on the menu). Over the course of an hour, he narrated the entire affair, seemingly oblivious to my presence. He knew exactly what he was saying, even if I didn’t.
If you’re a marketer, how can you tap into this wonder?
Photo by Nicola Fioravanti on Unsplash
Can you be a nice racist? After two black men were arrested for refusing to leave a Philadelphia Starbucks because they’d tried to use the restroom, a Trump-supporting white man uttered the N word to my face. Is this guy a racist if he doesn’t act like one but only talks like one?
When a customer reads different content from you, do they know it comes from the same company? Do they hear what you want them to hear? If your content suffers from inconsistency, it’s time to develop a message platform. In this post, learn three ways message platforms benefit your marketing and public relations efforts. And how to get your writers to follow the script.
Photo by Wynand van Poortvliet on Unsplash
In January 1996, I pulled a Thelma and Louise. Or, if you prefer, a Butch and Sundance: Trading a salary for a dream, I drove (or dove) off a cliff, leaving behind my corporate communications job at an electric utility to return to my first love of writing. It was the craziest, best decision I ever made. (Not so sure how it turned out for the Hollywood heroes.)
Stuff about me:
• I was born in da Bronx and grew up on Staten Island.
• I’m the grandson of Irish immigrants, the son of a NYC cop and a mom who loved to read.
• I’m writing my second novel – and (still) looking for an agent for the first one.
• I play guitar in a couple of bands.
• I fly-fish when I can with my fish-on-the-brain younger son.
• I still surf, not very well, with my sons.
• I believe we can – and have to – live and do business sustainably.
• And like a good little Portlander, I go by bike.
What makes me different?
What makes me different?
I started my career as a journalist. And now I'm writing novels. So I bring a deep understanding of story principles and how to apply them to your brand. That matters because story increases people’s sense of involvement, commitment, ownership and belonging.
I bring substantial technology chops in computer product and software marketing both to consumers and businesses. I'm an un-tech tech writer: I make technology understandable to people who care more about what it does for them than how it works.
Who are your customers and what do they care about? What is the marketing problem, and how does this communication solve it? Answering these and other questions elevates your communication from the tactical to the strategic. I make sure the copy and concepts align with your company’s broader communication objectives and brand. And I will work with you to develop your strategy and brand story.
Energy is my strong suit. I got to know the business from the inside of an electric utility (including deep within the bowels of generating plants), where I wrote, edited and managed newsletters, annual reports, news releases, brochures, executive communications and more for internal, customer, trade and investor audiences. Now I focus on helping customers in renewables like solar and wind, energy efficiency, electric vehicle charging, grid-edge and energy-management technology transition to a clean energy future.
I'm a highly professional copywriter who gets up to speed fast on your market, your company’s brand and the strategy behind the assignment. I turn out on-the-nose copy without handholding.
PROCESS
Research + Plan + Create + Revise + Build
PROCESS
Research + Plan + Create + Revise + Build
I bring a reporter’s instinct for asking why and a storyteller’s eye for gathering telling details. I work hard to understand what makes your product, service, company or idea tick. Most importantly, I want to know what your customer thinks, wants, needs and values.
A building needs a blueprint. And every communication tactic needs a strategy. The creative brief explains who we’re engaging, why and how.
This is the tangible and (for me, at least) fun part. I deliver the most creative, spot-on execution of the strategy. On time and on budget.
Sure, I aim for perfection every time. But, hey, this is a collaborative process. Sometimes you don’t know what you really want until you see it.
I'm not a one-off kind of guy. I'm in it for the long haul. I get to know you and your business well, so I can do a better job of telling your story.
Services
Services
I work in many media and forms, from short and snappy headlines to highly organized booklets and reports, from print to Web to interactive. As a former reporter, I’m an expert interviewer, knowing how to get not only the facts but also the emotions. That reporting experience helps me get up to speed fast on numerous businesses, industries and technologies.
Perhaps you’ve outlined a website or you’ve taken a first crack at a brochure, but it still needs the fresh perspective of an outsider. I can make that out-of-tune voice sing, that disjointed skeleton dance and that puddle of mud flow.
I work with you to develop a clear, compelling story about your product, service or organization. Then I create a guide to help you get your story out consistently, with impact, to the right audiences. This can take the form of a simple creative brief or a more robust strategic message platform.
A creative concept is a way to frame a communication. It links your message to a bigger idea, often using verbal and visual metaphors and stories to help your customer make a deeper emotional connection. My creative concepts will make your communication get noticed and your goal achieved.
form and function
form and function
Ads
Annual reports
Articles
Blogs
Brand guidelines
Brochures
Case studies
Communication strategies
Content marketing
Creative concepts
Employee communications
Marketing communications
Media kits
Messaging platforms
Mission and positioning statements
News releases
Newsletters and e-news
Profiles
Websites
White papers