The Counterpart blog:
What is message strategy? An official definition.
Is your team wrestling with message strategy? Under pressure to get results? Make sure everybody’s starting from...
Message strategy as a marketing mirror
Marketing can be a scary word for businesses. It brings to mind big budgets...
What can we learn about message strategy from Taylor Swift?
Confession time: Even though I grew up in the heyday of grunge and hip-hop, I’m now a Swiftie...
Message strategy makeovers: Holiday edition
Come November, holiday ads start popping up like chestnuts on an open fire. You probably remember a few favorites...
How to keep your message controlled
A controlled message is one that upholds discipline. Uphold. Discipline. Those are two great words. Let’s break ’em down...
How to make your message compelling
A compelling message is one that stops and moves. How can it do both? Well obviously you want to move people...
How to make your message clear
Generally, you know what being clear means. Easy to understand. Not confusing. But there are some other...
How to make your message customer-centric
The concept of customer centricity has been around since the 60s. But who coined the term? Some say Drucker...
Hold the cheese: How to choose authentic stock photos
You’ve probably seen an unnatural-looking stock image on a sign or website. Maybe the nuclear family was overly...
Is your message scaring away customers?
Ravenna leaned back in her ergonomic desk chair, checking her email inbox yet again. Nothing. Not a new prospect...
Communicating with customers during a supply chain disruption
You’re in charge of many aspects of your business. Like making decisions about the products or services you offer...
ChatGPT: Can you fire your agency now?
ChatGPT. Whisper that in the ear of any copywriter and you’re bound to get a reaction. Everybody seems to be in one...
The moment of truth before the moment of truth in marketing
Before your prospect makes a decision to buy, there’s a message that brings them to that decision point. So the moment...
What is environmental branding?
A client walks into your office. How do they feel? Before you cringe, no. This isn’t the start of a bad dad joke...
Zen and the art of brand positioning
Buddhism and marketing. One proposes that you should know your mind and eliminate desire to live a good...
Who’s your mascot?
Customers want to relate to your brand. One way to do that is by giving them something to relate to to: a personality...
Data delivered beautifully: A P&G case story
Ever heard of Procter & Gamble? Also known as the consumer packaged goods giant, P&G. As we all know, P&G has...
The message strategy of scent marketing: How to find the smell of success
The aroma of warm Cinnabon buns wafting through the mall. A hotel lobby scented with tropical flowers. A hint of…
Is your brand communication out of control?
You want customer-centric communication that’s clear, compelling, and under control. Right? But wait...
A cliché-free mission statement
Differentiating vision statements from mission statements. That was the intent of my last post before it morphed…
How to build a successful digital marketing strategy for the health care industry
A doctor walks into a marketing agency. The marketer asks what brings them in today and if there are any pain points...
How to name your business: Part 2
This is part two of a post on naming your company (or product or service). Don’t skip part one! It lays the groundwork...
What is a vision statement? Wiki-peeing on a misleading definition.
Please for the love of all that’s strategic, do not go by Wikipedia’s definition of a vision statement. It's sooo bad. I had...
Dial into small data: How to conduct customer or client research with a simple phone interview
One of the most practical, productive primary research tools for gathering small data (and crafting your brand’s...
The message strategy of music: How to pick the right music for your video or advertisement
True confession: I thought this blog was going to be easy to write. After all, I’m an advertising copywriter and a...
Marketing for medical practices: How to challenge Dr. Google on his own turf.
Being a doctor in the misinformation age is not easy. And yet, patient behavior is your guide. Here are three keys to...
How to name your business: Part 1
The process of naming a company has two parts: Coming up with name options, and choosing a name from your list...
How to increase survey response rates
There’s an overlooked best practice in survey design: writing an introduction that encourages participation. The key...
How to win in client presentations
Picture this: You’ve been working on a big project for weeks (or maybe months). Now it’s time to present your ideas. It...
SEO plugins: Are they worth it?
You finally did it. After months of contemplation, you made the investment and paid a company to redesign and...