APSotW - second assignment

Righty-oh, here's the second lot of stuff, there's a load for me to say but I think more of it's going to be here than in the documents. I actually found it quite hard to write a lot on each individual piece.

First thing

I've got to say, again, that I'm blown away by the efforts you've all made, it's really good that you're all willing to do this stuff - and that you're up for sharing it with the world. You should be really pleased with yourselves for doing this.

And because you've done that I think I've got to be fair with you in my comments, and I've got to tell you what I really think, so some of these comments might seem a little harsh. There was a lot of good thinking in these pieces but most of them were too woolly and too unfocused. That's probably my fault because of the brief but it won't be the last time you'll get an unfocused brief and you have to make the results good and sharp. And maybe I'm being grumpy because I've got a cold. Sorry about that.

A lesson for me

I've learned something in doing this - it's really hard to come up with good assignments. The last one was probably too specific, this one was too broad. I kind of assumed it would be easy, but I was very wrong. I'll try and do better next time.

I also need to be much clearer about what I expect, and what success might look like.

And obviously I need to be clearer about the rules. I was very specific about word-count, file size and file format and at least one person broke each rule. Next time, no exceptions, if you don't follow the rules you don't get in.

If there is a next time, maybe you'll all hate me and won't want to do it again.

For God's sake - write less

I guess I should have spelled this out properly - you don't have to write right up to the limit of the word-count. You only have to write as much as you need - and most of these assignments could have been written in one good paragraph, or four or five PowerPoint slides. I know it's incredibly tempting to write and write and write but don't. Make the effort to do less. If you take one lesson from this, this is it. Take the time to write less. Learn to summarise, précis, distil. This is so important I'm going to write about it some more.

Sacrifice

The essence of strategy is sacrifice – deciding what you’re not going to do. And the essence of good strategic writing is also sacrifice – deciding what you’re not going to say. Do not share everything you know. Just tell me stuff I need to know in order to be persuaded. Tell me stuff I might remember. A simple way to do this is write what you think you need to write – then remove four fifths of it. It’s harder, but it’s better.

Power

You’re writing here in order to get people to do something – write ads, approve strategies, something. This means you need to be persuasive, you have to engage the emotions as well as the brain, so use powerful, emotional language, not the dry look-at-how-clever-and-plannerly-I-am stuff of academe. Short sentences. Short words. But choose your words well. Don’t just lapse into marketing speak.

Their shoes

You’re supposed to be describing an audience – so bring them to life for me, don’t just dissect them like specimens, get in their shoes, make me feel it. Use their language, write like them. If you can’t convincingly write like them I don’t believe you can convincingly communicate to them. How would they describe themselves? What do their lives look like to them?

Be memorable

No-one’s going to action something they can’t remember. So try and write memorable phrases. Spend the time crafting a few sentences so they really sing. Think about alliteration. Rhyme. Something. Make your language vivid. Make it memorable. Do this with the important bits of your presentation. (Then throw everything else away)

A good start

Right up front – intrigue me, interest me and let me know why I’m reading this thing.

A good end

Be action oriented – tell me what you expect me to do or think as a result of reading your words.

Pictures

Pictures are powerful. Spend time finding the right ones. Don’t just use Getty – it looks like you’ve not tried very hard.

Insight

You’re supposed to be telling me stuff that’s useful and insightful about these people – so don’t waste too much time telling me the obvious. Tell me the stuff that’s surprising, that I couldn’t have worked out for myself. And that might just need to be one thing – if it’s enough to hang an interesting bit of communication on.

Does that make sense?

Does that help or is it just patronising? Have a read and see what you think.

And I’ll try hard to think of a better task for next time.

2a.ppt 2b.ppt 2c.ppt 2d.ppt 2e.ppt 2f.ppt 2g.ppt 2h.doc 2i.ppt 2j.ppt 2k.ppt 2l.ppt 2m.ppt 2n.pdf

Comments

[Luca]

Well Russell, reading back your general comments on this post and reading your thoughts on my presentation I think that maybe what happens is that we unconsciously try to impress you with how deep and how insightful our thoughts may be (wich is a bit like trying to impress Pete Rose by hittin' a softball homerun...).
Honestly I guess I mistook your "tell a story to pict a brand" with verbosity (and that's too bad for an ex-copywriter).
Anyway, thank you again so much for going through all our homeworks no matter the flu.

Luca

Ah, one more thing. My verbosity is partially explainable with the fact that I can't use my hands on Power Point chart. And hands for italians are half of the speech...

[Carol]

Pleasing Planning Punditry.

Russell, you don't just talk the talk.

This summer I'd distilled to ninety proof and sent a one page email to a client.

Got back an email in two seconds - "Bottom Line?".

Can't stop saying it now...

[lexa]

Thank you for your comments and time.

We are submitting so that we can learn and get better. Only pats on the back would be disappointing. No need to apologize for your critiques.

[M@]

Russell you should direct people to your top ten tips on presenting over at the APG website. I recently did a super important presentation and its success was by and large based on the fact that I approached it with your tips in mind.

Thanks
m

[Diana]

patronising? not a chance! it's entirely a matter of great help. it's really wonderful to learn from you.

as far as I am concerned, it was a double help. On one hand, more and more ideas were coming to me while I was developing the project itself (and I just didn’t have any time left to change it). Also clues of potential errors, some of which you confirmed. On the second hand, I completely agree with your observations and I can only thank you for the feedback and for spending your time helping like this.

[Ben]

Russell, I've just been reading the latest assignments and I wondered if you might consider making the next brief about the "grey" market, the 50+'ers.

For three reasons:

1. At the moment brand / marketing people go on and on about the "grey market".

2. I presume most of your students are quite young (certainly the brands they reference are) and this will force them out of their comfort zone and to think about an area they've (probably) not thought about before.

3. And lastly, as you said about Andy Law's book, "full of really interesting theories which have never been tested on any significant, diffcult brand. It’s always IKEA or someone like that. And everyone can do something interesting with IKEA".

Sorry, that was a bit long. And you're on holiday now. I'm off tomorrow. Merry Christmas.

[andrea]

thank you for having time to read this stuff and most of all for helping us get better at it :)

merry christmas

[andrea]

now that i'm reading the presentation in ms office, it looks ugly. sorry about that, i'll make it a pdf one next time

[Ju Laporta]

Dear Russell,

The Web School is so great! I definitely will take part of it the next time. I just want to thank you and the "students" who had sent their assignments - I´ve already learnt very important stuff :o)

Kisses for you all!

[russell]

thanks Ju, very kind, stay tuned for a new, and hopfully better, assignment.

[mauro]

Hi, Russel.
I´m a copywriter from Brazil, and it's been a great pleasure read your blog and the stuffs from your Web Planning School. I hope i can produce something to show you, despite my limited english knowledge. At least, you'll have ideas in very few words.

[maria]

hi i have to do an assignment on the 'grey market'50+ so i was just wondering if i would be able to get more information about it. thank u