Nuggets, Bubbles, Hats… & Other Extra Words
Our mission to put the personality into personal
At first glance, this title may seem like just a string of random words.
And that is because it is a string of random words.
But they are also a string of interesting words. Happy words. Visually evocative and somehow friendly.
Would it surprise you more if they were seen in a business context…that isn’t millinery, veterinary or bubble-ary (I don’t know…)
That’s where they were originally published as a headline.
They aren’t words you expect because they aren’t words you see every day in the grey wash of business speak that invades your eyes on websites, in emails, in presentations and the like. Which makes it unusual.
The question is whether being unusual makes you ignore it? Or does it pique your curiosity enough to read on. Does it make you wonder how we will segue from chicken nuggets to our mission to break down the — albeit metaphoric — wall that exists between Billy Business and Cathy Consumer.
(Answer: We decided not to bother with the segue. Just to save you time. In case you were post-rationalising or looking for a backfit.)
This is a wall that was erected (with gender assignations appropriated) by marketers and advertising folk and accepted without question by society, many decades ago.
A wall that placed the all-knowing businesses and brands with their marketing dollar on one side, so that they could safely decide what titbits of knowledge they would share with the poor, simple consumer, waiting patiently on the other.
A wall over which brands would throw information they had cut it down into neatly packaged, easily digestible chunks; like deep-fried data chicken nuggets that the consumer could devour in one bite.
This is a wall that exists to separate the masters from the slaves of consumerism.
Then consumerism changed
Brands no longer have the powerful bubble-wrap of control to use as protection. But the wall is still in place.
Behind it, you will find businesses cowering from time to time when change just seems too hard to deal with.
Like children covering their eyes when playing hide-and-seek, they illogically conclude that if they don’t look at change, then change will leave them alone.
They refuse to accept that brands and consumers aren’t opposing factions any more.
They never really were.
Today, the business is the consumer. The consumer is the business. Just maybe wearing a different hat. Or carrying a different iPhone.
Boundaries are fluid. For many of use, there is no work-life and home-life switch. There is just life. We have been forced to accept this as we talk to the CEO on Zoom whilst finding our six-year old’s lost lego at the same time. And we manage to give both the requisite attention.
This isn’t us just managing. This is us now.
So we need to take this further and accept that the consumer we speak of in our business meetings is in those meetings with us.
The consumer isn’t a strange beast, lurking by the boardroom door
The consumer is you.
The consumer is your boss. They make up your team. They are your non-gender-specific spouse. And, possibility disappointingly, they’re your kids. And your sister’s kids.
The consumer is funny Brian from Accounts, who chases your timesheets.
The consumer is nice Frank from Security, who always says “Morning Susan” to you, even though Susan isn’t your name.
The consumer is Smiley Sheila from, well, you’re not really sure what she does or if she even works here, but she does have a lovely smile.
The consumer is the Office Clown and the Office Bike — who may be the same person.
The consumer is your lover and your partner — who may not be.
We all speak the same language
So why don’t we speak the same language?
We think we can.
And so, we will.
To survive in our new, never-settling world, businesses need to behave more like people. And speak more like people. If they want to be listened to, and chosen by, people.
Using words that talk to people. Just like when people talk to people.
Extra words are words that have been chosen with extra thought.
An extra word will surprise you, make you think or make you think differently.
An extra word will make you laugh, will make you angry, will make you itch. (Maybe not itch).
An extra word adds personality to prose.
Empty words come from laziness.
An empty word carries no meaning so you gloss over it, leaving it unnoticed.
An empty word makes you recognise context but creates no point of difference.
An empty word remains in place for nothing more than tradition.
We’re granting these words some words of their own. So we can understood the power of words and use them to their full extent.
Demand extra.
1 Extra Word writes copy and develops content that humanises businesses to thank, help, reward — and generally flirt with — their customers, prospects and employees. Whatever your brief, if you think people should enjoy your emails, socialise your social posts and have fun with your FAQs, visit 1ExtraWord.com.
Freelance copywriters that humanise businesses, turning bland content into brand content.
This is an updated version of an article originally published at https://www.1extraword.com on May 1, 2020.
