Be More Creative
http://bemorecreative.ideatranslator.net
Be More Creative
Is Your Message a Marketing Mondegreen?
Merriam-Webster has recently added the word “mondegreen” to its pages with the definition “a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung.” The word was coined by author Sylvia Wright in 1954 when she discovered that she had long misunderstood the lyrics to an old Scottish ballad, “They have slain the Earl Amurray, And Lady Mondegreen.” The true ending of the stanza is “And laid him on the green.”
There are other more contemporary examples such as Jimi Hendrix’ “’scuse me while I kiss this guy” (‘scuse me while I kiss the sky) or Macy Gray’s “I wore goggles when you are not here” (My world crumbles when you are not here). Columnist Jon Carroll of the San Francisco Chronicle has long catalogued more examples on his web site at the link listed below. One of my favorites is Elton John’s “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” (Hold me closer, tiny dancer).
I once received a letter from a mail house that was promoting its services that was clearly part of a mass mailing since it offered no specific information relative to my business. One can argue the merits of whether these types of mailings are effective at building awareness of your company, but the problem with this one was, although my name was on the outside of the envelope, the “personalized” area of the letter inside had the name, company and address of another person.
That was a classic marketing mondegreen. What the mail house said in their letter was that they were experts in all aspects of mailing and fulfillment. What I heard was that they have not mastered the basic skill of matching the name on the inside of the envelope to the one on the outside.
I’ve seen a lot of companies put out marketing materials that are frankly, just awful. When my colleagues and I were paid to print the stuff and not provide feedback, we came up with the acronym NAFT (No Accounting For Taste). My client would get back their piece of dreck and be overjoyed about how great it looked. I don’t know what their clients thought.
Even worse is when a company throws together a “direct marketing” piece that they spend serious money to design, print and mail, only to get little or no results. I am using quotes for “direct marketing” because by definition it should have included a specific, attractive offer and a call to action that coordinates with the company’s business goals. Often these mailings are simply a brochure that goes out in the mail.
Here’s another classic example of a company marketing message. “(Our) personnel have the experience, knowledge, and industry contacts needed to provide you with the best products and service available. Since our founding, our motto has been ‘Where integrity stands for quality, service, and value.’” You may tell that to your clients, but do they have any idea what you really mean? Worse than mishearing, the words really mean nothing so they get ignored.
Make sure what you are saying in your marketing words, images and implementation are clearly stated so there is no misinterpreting of the message. Make it consistent in everything you put out there.
Jamie Bradley
Idea Translator
More mondegreen examples from columnist Jon Carroll
There are other more contemporary examples such as Jimi Hendrix’ “’scuse me while I kiss this guy” (‘scuse me while I kiss the sky) or Macy Gray’s “I wore goggles when you are not here” (My world crumbles when you are not here). Columnist Jon Carroll of the San Francisco Chronicle has long catalogued more examples on his web site at the link listed below. One of my favorites is Elton John’s “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” (Hold me closer, tiny dancer).
I once received a letter from a mail house that was promoting its services that was clearly part of a mass mailing since it offered no specific information relative to my business. One can argue the merits of whether these types of mailings are effective at building awareness of your company, but the problem with this one was, although my name was on the outside of the envelope, the “personalized” area of the letter inside had the name, company and address of another person.
That was a classic marketing mondegreen. What the mail house said in their letter was that they were experts in all aspects of mailing and fulfillment. What I heard was that they have not mastered the basic skill of matching the name on the inside of the envelope to the one on the outside.
I’ve seen a lot of companies put out marketing materials that are frankly, just awful. When my colleagues and I were paid to print the stuff and not provide feedback, we came up with the acronym NAFT (No Accounting For Taste). My client would get back their piece of dreck and be overjoyed about how great it looked. I don’t know what their clients thought.
Even worse is when a company throws together a “direct marketing” piece that they spend serious money to design, print and mail, only to get little or no results. I am using quotes for “direct marketing” because by definition it should have included a specific, attractive offer and a call to action that coordinates with the company’s business goals. Often these mailings are simply a brochure that goes out in the mail.
Here’s another classic example of a company marketing message. “(Our) personnel have the experience, knowledge, and industry contacts needed to provide you with the best products and service available. Since our founding, our motto has been ‘Where integrity stands for quality, service, and value.’” You may tell that to your clients, but do they have any idea what you really mean? Worse than mishearing, the words really mean nothing so they get ignored.
Make sure what you are saying in your marketing words, images and implementation are clearly stated so there is no misinterpreting of the message. Make it consistent in everything you put out there.
Jamie Bradley
Idea Translator
More mondegreen examples from columnist Jon Carroll
How can I help you be more creative?
My first job when I started out in the graphics field was pasting up ads(actually, we used melted wax) for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian at UMass Amherst in 1977. It was a 36-page daily newspaper that was published on weekdays and distributed for free around the campus.
Student sales reps would go out to the local businesses in town (liquor stores were big advertisers since the drinking age was 18) and bring back a ratty piece of notebook paper with some scribbled text and a couple of crudely drawn shapes. My job was to translate it into artwork that would print in the paper, with all the important information emphasized and spelled correctly.
Business owners got cranky if the ad didn't look how they expected and would refuse to pay, hence making the student sales rep cranky when they didn't get their commissions. I've been translating ideas into printed materials ever since.
Recently, I've been talking with my old friends at Blackcoffee about what I do. They are a brand expression consultancy that helps companies build more effective brands by integrating brand strategy and brand identity, and they are very good at what they do ( www.blackcoffee.com). I have worked with them for about ten years, so I knew they could help me define what I do for my clients that other companies are likely to find valuable.
Blackcoffee owner Mark Gallagher told me, "The reason I like working with you is that you help me be more creative. If I have an idea for something I want to do, I don't need to know how to do it. I just ask you."
So that's what I do. Because of my thirty years of experience in printing, sales, marketing, promotional products, direct mail and my interest in staying current on how things can be done, I am in a position to help people be more creative. That's what this site is for. If we can do business, great. If not, feel free to take what you can from this forum and share comments about what you know as well.
Jamie Bradley
Idea Translator
Student sales reps would go out to the local businesses in town (liquor stores were big advertisers since the drinking age was 18) and bring back a ratty piece of notebook paper with some scribbled text and a couple of crudely drawn shapes. My job was to translate it into artwork that would print in the paper, with all the important information emphasized and spelled correctly.
Business owners got cranky if the ad didn't look how they expected and would refuse to pay, hence making the student sales rep cranky when they didn't get their commissions. I've been translating ideas into printed materials ever since.
Recently, I've been talking with my old friends at Blackcoffee about what I do. They are a brand expression consultancy that helps companies build more effective brands by integrating brand strategy and brand identity, and they are very good at what they do ( www.blackcoffee.com). I have worked with them for about ten years, so I knew they could help me define what I do for my clients that other companies are likely to find valuable.
Blackcoffee owner Mark Gallagher told me, "The reason I like working with you is that you help me be more creative. If I have an idea for something I want to do, I don't need to know how to do it. I just ask you."
So that's what I do. Because of my thirty years of experience in printing, sales, marketing, promotional products, direct mail and my interest in staying current on how things can be done, I am in a position to help people be more creative. That's what this site is for. If we can do business, great. If not, feel free to take what you can from this forum and share comments about what you know as well.
Jamie Bradley
Idea Translator