Still not many signs of spring in the weather here. The photo above was taken on my Sunday long-run on the North York Moors. Not pictured: me hanging onto a trig point to stay upright in the wind, and horizontal rain on Urra Moor.
Let’s try and brighten things up with what’s caught my eye this week…
Local stores, for local people
If you live under a rock, or maybe far, far away from anyone with teenage daughters, you may have missed that beauty giant Sephora is opening not one, but two stores in the North East this year.
Their branded hoarding on the Eldon Square spot makes reference to the famous black and white striped Newcastle United football shirt, and was getting all the love on social media.
Proof that a simple, local touch can create warmth and good PR vibes.
It’s OK to tell your boss what to do.
Wes Kao always posts thoughtful and practical tips, and I loved this one on clear comms with a manager. I think a lot of us might shy away from being this direct, feeling it’s somehow audacious to let your boss (or your client) know what your priorities are. Be bold, own your workload, and communicate with clarity. It helps everyone.
And finally…
What words would you put on a banned list for your company?
Describing Sephora as a ‘beauty giant’ up there reminded me of a great conversation on LinkedIn a while back about words that only ever get used in news reports, and not by real humans. People got passionate! ‘Revellers’, ‘Marred’ and ‘Axed’ all came in for a some stick.
“Blaze” is also utterly dreadful. Just use the word “fire” twice. I was taught to write “as if you’re telling your mate something in the pub.” I’m pretty sure I could say fire twice within ten seconds without having pork scratchings thrown at me.
Some of the journalists in the conversation were calling for the return of the newsroom ‘banned list’, and it turns out Lake Superior State University has been ‘banishing’ a list of overused words every year since 1976.
Should your copywriting style guide include a list of words that are just not allowed in your marketing? What would they be for your brand?
