The Verbaliste Blog

Greenwashing language. How to help your team avoid it.

3 things to avoid and 3 things to do, so you (and your CEO) avoid greenwashing language.   When you're doing good things, it's easy to think you can just write about them and the world will appreciate what you're doing. But people are more sceptical, less...

What is tone of voice – an overview

What is Tone of Voice - an overview. Introduction: Please note, this text was generated by an ai platform given the prompt 'Tone of voice - an overview' and I'm testing out its effect compared to other posts. If it wins, I'm retraining. Tone of voice is the way in...

Writing copy for a better Customer Experience – the Pause

Imagine you're being tasked with writing copy for a better customer experience. Perhaps the churn rate's gone up recently. It's easy to jump in and start tweaking a few things. Or maybe you think it's time you got some copywriter training - because, like, you thought...

Using Behavioural Economics for copy

You can use behavioural economics for copy. Will they help? Yes. Better than 'real creativity'? Here's what Chris West recently posted: Behavioural economics tricks are good to know. But their effects are trivial and short lived, compared to real creativity. There are...

What’s wrong with most tone of voice in tech?

Truth is, you can't change everything about your brand's tone of voice. Not all in one go, anyway. The big problem we see in tone of voice in tech is that there's too much, erm, tech. Most of your clients aren't as knowledgeable as your CPO. So what should you change...

Communities of Practice for copywriters

What are Communities of Practice? And how can you use them to help your copywriters? Back in 1991, two cognitive anthropologists, Jean Lave and Etienne Wegner, discovered something remarkable. Street gangs don't use agenda. But still they seem to thrive through...

Brand purpose writing

I want to ask CMOs about their brand purpose writing. Is it good enough? This came out of a keynote speech I was asked to give by the Financial Services Forum in London on 16th June 2022. Along with the panel, I was asked whether I thought Purpose contributed to a...

Shouldn’t Your Brand Be More British?

Is this #EndofDays? For 'British' as a desirable value, I mean. Listen to UK radio and it's the woke brigade who's ruined it for everyone else. Two minutes later, there's never been a better time to be British. What's going on? What should brands do? Should you brand...

How to write so bad news doesn’t sound worse.

Started talking about the 'I' word yet? (Hint: 9 letters. Which is equal to the % rate it's now running at.) It's time to relearn how to write those tricky emails to customers. Find a way to talk about price rises. And do it without hurting your brand. Writing can't...

The power of Brand Language: How To Know When You’re In A Cult

Watched WeCrashed yet? It's all about what went on at WeWork. What went on was a lot of language: "the energy of We" "TGIM" "Elevate the world's consciousness" The language which unsettled the investors, drew a willing crowd of believers. It created a cult. Language...

Jacob Rees-Mogg – would tone of voice guidelines help?

Many of you, dear readers, don't know how to write. It's not your fault, of course. But, equally, you are not entirely free from blame. While we can all see that Labour plays a role for failing standards in this country, we all have to do our bit. You will undoubtedly...

The batman

Don't let up. Don't change your mind because the plan isn't working. Change the plan.   Don't stop wearing a blue and yellow ribbon because it's getting old. Keep wearing blue and yellow because - because - this situation is getting old. Keep watching the little...

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