Writer s Workshop


Writer's Workshop

Once brand copy guidelines have been shaped and developed, they need to be adopted and applied throughout the organization. Di Somma says that selling the concept of a copy strategy at the organizational level is not always easy. Many initially struggle to see the relevance and impact. "It is one of those things that creeps up on them, but once it is embedded, they wonder how they ever appraised anything without it. One day, they find themselves intuitively responding not just to the words but to the spirit that those words or ideas represent." [11]

A writer's workshop is a powerful means to achieve consistent written communication. Such a workshop brings together managers and staff (including marketing, communications, and HR managers) whose primary responsibility is overseeing or producing various types of written communication. They are then offered a practical, and almost always needed and deeply appreciated, session in writing brand copy.

We recommend that the writer's workshop focus on at least two objectives: first, to help people develop a deeper understanding of the brand through immersion in the spirit of the brand and the underlying brand values; and second, to teach practical skills in how to write in an on-brand manner. It is advisable that the practical exercises offered in the workshop start with easy examples, such as how to write a direct marketing brochure for a service you offer. Then move toward more difficult examples, such as how to write a letter responding to a complaint in an on-brand manner or how, in an on-brand fashion, to say no to a customer.

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off-brand

For many years, American Express told customers in television commercials that they were "always more than a number." In this world of multiple identity numbers, this is a refreshing position. Unfortunately, the first thing customers saw on almost every piece of written correspondence was their card number. And when customers rang the AmEx call centers, what do you think was the first thing asked of them?

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When it is done well, a copy strategy gives everyone a powerful framework from which to work. In addition, it provides a standard against which to judge all the written work your organization produces. Your brand style will become infused in all your communications—both external and internal—creating consistency in your brand messages.

[11]Mark Di Somma, "Brand Attention Disorder," contribution to http://www.allaboutbranding.com, 2002.




Branded Customer Service(c) The New Competitive Edge
Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge
ISBN: 1576752984
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 134

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