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:
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.
Diversity in Decision-Making: Encourage diverse perspectives within your creative team to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the potential implications of your copy.
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.
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.
This week, I attended my first (outdoor) exercise class since the lockdown and truth be told, I was terrified.
Partly because it was spinning and I know from experience that it basically destroys me. But mainly because I felt I was going back to square one.
Just before lockdown, I’d really gotten into the gym – I was going 4 days a week, and whilst still not ‘fit’ I was seeing improvements and loved how it made me feel so much more energetic and confident in general.
My gymtimidation was a thing of the past… but now it’s back and lurking at the side-lines so I figured it was the perfect time to share a post I’d drafted some time back, but never got round to posting.
Up until the last few years, I was somebody who hated exercise. I had a bad case of gymtimidation – and truth be told, any form of working out would make me nervous.
And I mean genuinely hated it… I wouldn’t run, even if it meant missing my bus. Whenever I looked back on my past experience with exercise, the picture was pretty clear: it just wasn’t for me.
Most people cringe when they remember being chosen last in PE, but I would wholeheartedly agree with the people that didn’t choose me. I was inarguably shit at it. So much so that when I would ask if I could ‘revise’ instead the teachers wouldn’t bother to argue – they could tell I was a lost cause.
So now it seems strange to think that in the past 2/3 years I completed a Couch to 5k programme, joined a running club and once that subsided joined a gym.
If I’m honest, the idea of me joining a gym isn’t that strange – I’ve joined numerous gyms in the past and went about twice before being scared off and falling victim to gymtimidation – I guess you could say I’m easily gymtimidated!
But for the last month, I’ve been eagerly going to the gym a minimum of four times a week. And now I am a woman obsessed: I talk about my workouts, I eye-up leggings when I shop and daydream about all the classes I could attend if I didn’t have to work.
And this is because I managed to overcome my gymtimidation. (And probably the extra endorphins)
It sounds silly doesn’t it, being scared of going to the gym and exercising in general. But I was scared, and I was embarrassed about being scared.
I was scared of not knowing what to do and how I was supposed to do it.
I was scared of not being able to do it.
I was scared of using the complicated machines wrong and looking like an idiot.
I was scared of what people would think of me – specifically the regular gym-goers who looked as if they had been weightlifting and running since birth.
I was scared of failure – promising myself that I would go get fit, and then not getting fit. Instead of just giving up after a session or two like I normally did.
In a roundabout way, I was scared of letting myself down.
I might be totally misguided here, but I don’t think I’m the only one with those fears and many others fears besides them. When society only shows us images of people exercising who are already super fit, it’s easy to feel like we don’t belong.
But I got over my fears, and you will too. So, without further rambling, here is how I got passed gym intimidation
Choose the right gym
I’ve been to a few in my time, and looking back I can see why many didn’t work out. The one I use now may not be the most flash, but the people are ‘normal.’ They span all ages/genders/shapes/fitness levels and whilst many are phenomenally fit, most don’t look like the next big fitness influencer. Also, the instructors don’t just presume you know what certain muscles or movements are.
It probably says more about me and the internal work I need to carry out, but when I started working out there was nothing more intimidating than lycra-clad gods/goddesses who knew exactly what they were doing and expected you to know too. It was like these people were specifically designed to trigger gymtimidation.
Many gyms make you sign up for a monthly membership, but if it’s not the gym for you have no shame and cut your losses. Cancel the direct debit and try a different one.
2. Go to the induction.
Sounds basic I know, but I guess I was too big-headed to think I needed one.
I figured it would be a walkthrough, where they told you what each machine was and where the fire escapes were. I mean its always good to know where the exits are but I was pretty sure I would just forget how to use the machines if I used them at all.
My gym basically doesn’t let you attend any classes without an induction, so I was forced to go and I am so glad I did. Rather than just telling you about the machines, it’s a chance to actually use them with someone showing you how (this helped me remember the instructions a lot better!) and it’s an opportunity to become familiar with the staff so next time you go, there’s at least one friendly face.
3. Invest in some sportswear.
I say invest, but that doesn’t strictly mean spending loads. When I first started I bought some cheap gym kits because I didn’t want to spend loads on something I wasn’t sure I’d actually use. However, I’d strongly suggest buying something, mainly for its mental effects.
Getting changed into gym clothes has become a bit of ritual for me when I wear them I began to feel more energetic and ready to kick ass before I’ve even worked out.
You know that one dress that makes you feel like you may be named FHM’s sexiest woman of the year in a shocking twist of fate? Well, it kinda works like that but in a sporty sense.
Full disclosure, I may have ruined this one by living in leggings over lockdown, but I’m hoping to recapture the magic now I’m back at work.
As it comes to the end of this post, I guess the tips aren’t that groundbreaking, but I just want you to know you are not alone in feeling nervous about exercise and there is no shame needed.
If all else fails, try to ignore the looming sense of gymtimidation, take some headphones and focus on how smug you can feel afterwards.
Lockdown has been hard for many people, and since being furloughed I’ve found that one of the hardest parts has been having so much time to think.
I’ve tried to stay busy, I’ve tried to create To-Do lists… but even then, it’s easy to get lost in my thoughts. After all, doing the washing up for the hundredth time today hardly calls for rigorous mental focus.
I don’t think I’m alone in this, because every trending article at the moment seems to have a focus on reflection & rebuilding.
Whether on a grand scale (hello, the UK economy) or on the personal side in terms of career changes and new-found passions or skills.
So, in attempt to brain dump, here are the things I’ve missed, haven’t missed and will miss from my time being furloughed.
What I’ve Missed.
The obvious one here has to be family. Normally I visit my parents 5-6 times a week, and regularly see my sister at their house… so as you can imagine, it’s been hard not seeing them properly.
I’ve been bombarding them with Facetimes, but then there’s always the pressure to talk. Which is even harder given nobody is doing anything.
I guess I miss simply being with family. Not being forced to talk, instead just sharing a brew, half-heartedly watching TV and pottering around together.
2. In an unexpected turn, I also miss the gym. Prior to lockdown, I’d attended HIIT and weight training classes four times a week and for the first few weeks of furlough I attempted to keep up the same momentum at home.
Turns out I need the peer pressure of being in a class to work out regularly – I just have no love or motivation for home workouts.
Popping to the shops.
I used to believe I knew how to meal plan, however not being able to pop to shops whenever I wanted has taught me this was all I lie. I never buy enough snacks, but always manage to end up with too much spinach. Perhaps we should put that down to good intentions…
Having a reason to look nice.
While in recent years there has been a big push in the belief we women dress for ourselves. While this may be true for some, it turns out my appearance was mainly performative. Lockdown has made me almost fully feral, and I long for the days when a smokey eye or bright lip seemed more than just a pointless indulgence.
Feeling constantly guilty because I don’t enough time to do everything as well as I would like.
If an abundance of time has taught me anything, it that the old saying is true – we only do the things we view as a priority. With all the time in the world, I still have yet to finish reading Dracula, watch the endless list of ‘classic’ films I’ve missed out on or re-organise the closets.
Materialist comparisons.
In the old world, I interacted with a lot of people who financially better off than me. Which meant it was hella easy to fall into the trap of materialist comparison.
Pre-lockdown I was desperately craving a new car, but now I couldn’t care less along as my loved ones are safe & healthy.
Things I Will Miss
Celebrating the small wins and truly valuing things.
The first time I secured a click and collect spot, I honestly nearly cried. It was the height of the pandemic and it meant me and my parents (they shared my delivery slot) could shop in relative safety. Also, the shortages caused by panic buying served as a great reminder to be grateful for even the bare the necessities such as food.
It also made me savour the moments of joy, whether that’s sitting out in the back yarden with a good book, or seeing our seeds sprout. In such uncertain times, small moments of joy have seemed even sweeter.
Working together
It seems the world has got a lot more collaborative recently. From me and Craig creating joint DIY projects, to our local community sharing plants and growing tips, it feels like there has been a real sustained effort to make things easier for each other.
It’s made me want to give back more once this lockdown is over. I’m not sure how I’ll do it yet, but it seems more important than ever to give back to our local communities, even if it is in the smallest ways.
When I’m back working full time from an office, I’m sure they will be plenty more that I’ll miss from this stretch of enforced rest. In all likelihood, there will be days where I yearn for a few days filled with nothing much, but I hope I’ll remember how lucky I am.
Even before the lockdown was announced, we were quietly muttering to ourselves that the wedding might not go ahead as planned. With the number of people allowed to attend gatherings getting increasingly smaller and smaller, the thought certainly crossed my mind.
More often than not, however, that same thought would swiftly be pushed away, our wedding was a good 3-4 months away… We’d be fine.
Or so we thought.
Now, I want to make it clear we were very lucky that our wedding wasn’t planned for March, April or even May. I’m incredibly grateful for that and cannot imagine how stressful, heart-breaking (and not to mention expensive) it must have been for those couples.
That said, whether it’s due to COVID19 or other personal reasons, when it comes to postponing, you’re wedding… where the hell do you start?
I’m a firm believer in letting people know where they stand, so as soon as we made the decision to postpone the wedding we contacted all of our suppliers… It was basically just a short message to let them know that although we didn’t have a new date, the wedding wouldn’t be going ahead as previously agreed.
As many of our suppliers were freelancers, it felt important to let them know asap, so they could re-schedule/plan their finances etc accordingly.
Next, we contacted our venue and tried to secure a new date.
With regards to Coronavirus, nobody really knows what is happening so the official advice in our area was to push it back until Autumn/Winter and see what happens. Needless to say, we ignored this advice.
Whilst we desperately want to get married, we didn’t want the hassle of possibly messing around our guests and suppliers a second time, so instead, we pushed the date back a full year.
Once we had our new date, we contacted all of our suppliers and checked to see if they were still available and if we could move our date without it affecting the payments we had already made.
We were really lucky in that only our photographer was unavailable for our new date.
For example, a “nonrefundable deposit” doesn’t actually exist. If you give the supplier enough time to get new clients, there is no reason why they should not refund your money. We decided not to argue the point though, as obviously it was highly unlikely that they would be able to secure new clients given the Panny-D.
Either way, we learnt a lot from Which? And it’s definitely worth a look.
After our date was secured we posted a message on social media and contacted all of our guests individually too just to make sure everyone was aware.
I’m not going to lie, it felt horrible to send that text, so maybe make sure you have a lot of wine nearby.
One thing I wish we would have done sooner is to check with the registrars. I dread to think what would have happened if they weren’t available on our new date! However, I have been reliably informed that many work on a locum basis so they can easily draft more into the ranks if needed.
As our new date is over a year away, we will have to get a new marriage licence, however, definitely check this with your local registry office as this can vary from place to place.
Finally, don’t forget to contact your insurance company!
