I don’t know about you, but when I think about big global brands, I imagine they have it all. 

Huge budgets to play with, the best people in their team & even better staff discounts.

And yet, they can still fuck up. Big time. 

Last week H&M were forced to pull an advert which featured their school uniforms. 

The image showed two primary school-aged girls, standing side-on, looking over their shoulder at the camera.

Nothing too offensive there right?

Well, that’s when the copywriting turned into a calamity. 

“Make those heads turn with H&M’s back to school fashion”

Eeesh. 

Who decided ‘make those heads turn’ was the perfect cation for an image of primary school girls? And who then signed off on this?

So many questions, so few valid answers. 

The brand was accused of sexualising young girls and was forced to release a statement to apologise. 

When writing content you’ve got to remember words hold immense power to shape perceptions, influence behaviour, and reflect the ethos of the brands we represent.

Copywriting requires a delicate balance between creativity and an understanding of the social context in which our messages will be received.

It’s crucial to anticipate the potential impact of our words. 

So without further ado, here’s how to avoid the same mistake as H&M when copywriting:

1. Sensitivity Matters: Understand the cultural nuances and potential sensitivities related to the product or service you’re promoting. In this case, the cultural significance of school uniforms should have been approached with greater care.
2. Diversity in Decision-Making: Encourage diverse perspectives within your creative team to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the potential implications of your copy.
3. Listen and Adapt: When concerns are raised, it’s essential to listen and, if necessary, adapt. Brand reputation is built on trust, and a willingness to acknowledge and rectify mistakes is key.
4. Continuous Learning: The landscape of acceptable language and messaging is ever-evolving. Commit to continuous learning, staying informed about societal shifts, and adapting our approaches accordingly.

And if in doubt, get a fresh pair of eyes to look over it for you. 

Whilst I’m big on the power of mindset, sometimes you need more than a hunch.

So luckily, back in 1992, Eldad Yechiam carried out a study, which showed we value losses 2.3 times more than gains of the same value.

Basically, losses hurt us wayyyy more than wins make us feel good.

So how can we, as marketers, leverage that knowledge to boost sales?

By looking at other businesses that are doing just that, and implementing similar ideas in our own businesses… obviously!

Get Specific

If you’ve ever tried to cancel Amazon Prime, you would have come face-to-face with a great example of loss aversion copywriting.

By changing from a generic message to a personalised calculation of what you’ve saved so far, it makes you scared of no longer saving it in the future.

It quietly implies, that if you cancel Prime you could easily lose a lot more money than the small cost of your Prime subscription. Which in turn leads to a higher customer retention rate for Amazon.

Image via @p_agnew (Twitter)

Savings First

Amazon also uses loss aversion psychology in their online shopping listings.

If you ever search for a book, for example, you’ll often see a listing like this – and chances are your eyes will automatically be drawn not to the price, like in conventional shops, but rather to the larger, red saving you could make.

On an unconscious level, most people will then want to buy the item, whilst it’s on sale instead of waiting and possibly ‘losing money’ when the item is no longer discounted and it’s back to its original price.

Another tactic you could consider is one used by some e-commerce sites.

Its easy to add an element of urgency, by using a countdown timer to ensure customers act fast (e.g without having time to reconsider or talk themselves out of it)

It gives the sense that if you don’t act now, you will likely lose out – loss aversion marketing at its simplest

Consider Cashless

If you have a physical premises, it’s worth trying to steer customers away from using cold hard cash, by promoting alternative methods such as cards or apple pay.

This is because handing over cash heightens our sense of loss in a way tapping a card doesn’t.

In fact, cash heightens our feelings of loss so much that a 2201 study found that shoppers spend up to 100% more when using cards instead of cash.

I mention this one because its important to remember, marketing extends way beyond the sexy digital side of it – and every interaction a customer has with your brand, whether online, over the phone or in person counts.

Plus, a sale’s a sale at the end of the day isn’t it?

In branding, there are 12 main archetypes.

By working out which brand archetype fits your company best, you can work out how to position your brand, which can help with everything from written content to graphics. 

These archetypes are so incredibly helpful as they play on characters or stereotypes that many people already know, therefore helping people to feel like they know your brand.

The 12 Archetypes & Examples

• The Creator

The creator is authentic, yet prides itself on being innovative. It has a strong sense of creativity and doesn’t feel constrained by the rules – instead, it is busy inventing new things to keep its customers loyal & excited. 

A great example of a ‘creator’ brand is Apple.

• The Jester

As the name suggests, this brand is all about having fun! 

If your company is high energy and uses bright, vibrant colours this archetype could be perfect! 

Rather than solving a problem as such, the jester tries to entertain and provide value. This brand is confident and knows how to use comedy well.

M&M’s is a classic Jester-style brand, from the colouring to the confidence and teasing jokes used in their adverts.

• The Sage

Spiritual and the font of all knowledge the Sage is authentic and speaks only the truth. A ‘sage’ brand is an expert in its field and is always open to friendly discussion, often sharing authentic information.

Oprah Winfrey’s brand is strongly built on the Sage archetype.

• The Innocent

Consistently happy, reliable and trustworthy this archetype might play it safe but its positivity shines through. It always looks for the silver lining and will work hard to solve any problem. It is unfalteringly optimistic about the future. 

Coca-Cola and McDonald’s are true ‘Innocent’ brands. 

• The Lover

Is your company sensual and passionate? It is emotional and beautiful? If so, it could be a lover!

Lover brands are ‘givers’ in relationships and are aesthetically pleasing, valuing harmony and positive surroundings. 

Lindt chocolate, Victoria’s Secret and even Chanel could easily be considered lover brands.

• The Hero

The hero is courageous and has strong attention to detail -this brand seeks perfection. The Hero brand is an idealist bubbling over with self-confidence, combining quality and trust.

Often used in sports brands, Nike and Michael Jordan are easily heroes. 

• The Rebel or Outlaw.

If these archetypes were created today, they would probably be known as disruptors. They are outrageous, shocking and not afraid to shake things up. 

Rebel brands thrive on changing the game and do so with confidence. They are unconventional and go all-out.

This brand archetype instantly makes me think of Uber & Air BnB

• The Everyman

Whilst some of the other branding archetypes scream for your attention, this one is practical and honest in its approach.

These companies are humble and are guided by honesty, allowing regular people and average Joes to feel like they belong.

Companies that fit the regular brand archetype often grow quietly and consistently, only making a huge show when the time is right.

Budweiser for example is loved for being an everyman. 

• The Magician

Magician companies encourage their customer’s imaginations to run wild!

They are fun yet solve problems and have a deep impact on those they serve. When promoting a product or service magicians do the unexpected. 

Red Bull is a great magician

• The Explorer

You know your company is an explorer if it loves adventure! 

It’s not afraid to stand out from the crowd and redefine freedom on its terms. The explorer is self-motivated, independent and ambitious. 

Your company promises to take people on a journey, creating memories they won’t forget. 

For explorer inspiration, look no further than Jeep or North Face. 

• The Ruler

This company is powerful! 

It shows authority and isn’t afraid to create order out of chaos. A born leader it is constantly building on its foundations, with the hope of creating a legacy. 

However, rulers often have to be careful nobody else is after their crown by maintaining their perfection – sometimes at the cost of innovation.

Rolex is a prime example of a ruler.

• The Caregiver

Who doesn’t love a caregiver? Caregiving companies often act altruistically, showcasing these acts to their followers. They offer support and empathy – using emotions to let the company’s personality shine through.

These brands are often not for profit or include celebrities such as Princess Diana. 

In Conclusion

You should try your best to choose one of these archetypes to define your brand, though I know that can be hard to choose just one!

If you feel stuck between two, I’d recommend considering which your audience would respond best to- though this should only be a consideration. Try your best to stay true to you. 

Ps. If you’re interested in brand archetypes, you can learn about their use in advertising here.

If you still need help defining your brand my email & DMs are always 

If you’ve Googled digital marketing, I’m willing to bet that you’ve come across this term. So I thought we’d take it back to basics and discuss content marketing definitions and examples.

Content marketing is the golden child and with good reason. 72% of marketing professionals believe it increases customer engagement with a brand and increases leads. 

So what exactly is content marketing? 

Well let’s break it down, ‘content’ refers to anything you create and post online.  

This could be blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, podcasts, images and videos for example. 

And yep, this includes the photos/videos you post on social media. That’s because social media is a channel through which you share your content. 

Other channels include your website or any other online presence where you share content. 

As such, content marketing involves creating content to market your business. 

This is classed as ‘inbound marketing’ as you are trying to draw people in and turn them into customers. 

If you’re reading this and worrying about all the content you need to create, don’t panic!

If you are low on resources or time, you can always curate other peoples content and add your own comments. 

For example, you may share a study or news article written by someone else and share your thoughts on the piece. 

How Content Marketing Works

Content marketing works in a plethora of ways, so I’m afraid there isn’t one quick answer.

By regularly updating the content on your website you help with your Search Engine Optimisation (where you rank on Google). This is especially true if you consider keywords whilst creating your content.

By sharing your knowledge through content marketing, you also position yourself as an expert in your field, helping to build consumer trust. 

Examples Of Content Marketing

Video Content 

The first example I have for you is a golden oldie. 

Blenders may not seem the sexiest of products (especially before the rise of Instagram Wellness) yet BlendTec created a series of videos that managed to increase brand awareness exponentially. 

The videos featured the business owner dressing up as a scientist in a lab and blending random objects – including the latest iPhone. 

Coupled with the catchphrase ‘Will it blend?’ the campaign quickly went viral with BlendTec’s owner noting that sales were impacted almost instantly. 

The campaign proved so popular that at its height you could even buy branded merchandise with the phrase ‘Will it blend?’ on. 

Image Content

Shutterstock’s trend report is now in its eighth year, and there are good reasons as to why the company is continuing to produce it.

When it first launched, they shared an infographic online that was translated into 20 languages and focused on trends predicted from user downloads. 

Within the first two weeks of the infographic being shared, it was featured in over 170 articles and comments. The email promoting the infographic also had an open rate if 20%.

All of this coverage helped Shutterstock to reach a wider audience and gave them social credibility as many people who read the articles saw them as the expert voice. 

Written Content

Florida Physical Medicine knew they wanted to rank higher on Google for ailments related to car accidents. 

As such, they created onsite, written content that focused on niche keywords.

As part of this, they created valuable and informative content that answered common questions about the ailments. They then suggested that people who suffered from the ailment should request a free consultation which helped improve lead generation. 

By the time they had read the article, the potential customer already had trust that the brand knew what it was talking about, so were more likely to convert by requesting the consultation.

Over the next four to six months this resulted in:

• A 153% increase in site sessions year over year (sessions represent a single visit to your website.)
• A 121% increase in leads (51 to 133) year over year
• All existing keywords ranked in top 10: up 152% (134 to 338) year over year

I hope these content marketing definitions and examples helped to demystify it a bit, as content marketing is truly one of the best ways to grow your business. 

If you’ve got any questions about content marketing, drop me a comment below or join me on Instagram. 

Sources: 

OptinMonster

Smartinsights

Content Marketing Institute