Copy mistakes what brands make

copy mistakes banana Brands at their best are like people. People you trust, people you like, people you rely on, people who make you laugh. The copy mistakes ~~what~~ that brands make are a result of forgetting this.

Brands’ individual personalities come from the way they look and sound. But all too often, they suffer from a multiple personality disorder. That’s where good copywriting makes all the difference.

In design terms, most brands are pretty good at using their typeface, their logo, and often a recognisable brand colour too.

But when it comes to writing, it’s too often a free-for-all.

Cheery, cheeky messages on social media. Cold and formal instructions on the app. Funny advertising, straightforward landing page. What gives?

Often the tone is inconsistent because different writers have been assigned to different channels and briefed separately. A design agency writes (or over-writes) the chatty comments on the packaging, while the most junior person in Marketing writes the Facebook posts. HR writes the LinkedIn job ads. Legal writes the FAQ pages.

It’s not joined up. So?

Building a brand is about investment. Building up a store of goodwill, recognition, affinity, charm and entertainment that the product can’t do on its own. It’s what makes brands so valuable.

Calvin Klein Y-fronts don’t cost twice as much to make as M&S, so why do they cost double to buy? The answer is brand.

Brand adds a halo of personality to your product or service. And consistently good copywriting builds that brand day by day.

That’s why it’s so disappointing when brands get it wrong. For example, BMW is famous for being ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’. A positioning they’ve invested in heavily over decades. Their 2022 advertising for the i4 model still uses the slogan (adapted to ‘The Ultimate Electric Driving Machine’). But pairs it with the line, “It’s not about the power of words. It’s about the power of action.”

That sentence could be anyone’s and says more about the generic EV category than giving a reason to choose BMW. It’s not written in the same ownable voice and sounds preachy, rather than confident.

Meanwhile, over on Instagram, BMW’s personality is different again. Take this post featuring the i4 M50, “Donut underestimate the power of a sweet treat 🍩”. It’s ditzy, it’s punning, and trying way too hard to be likeable. It’s really not the same brand. The donut post is a great use of Instagram. But, we would argue, for a ‘fun’ (cheaper?) car brand, not BMW.

Surely, there must be a way to be channel-appropriate without becoming someone else entirely?

We’re not saying BMW can’t be fun, but it needs to be a fun version of itself to maximise the power of its messaging. Not become someone unrecognisable.

After all, everything adds up. Advertising, social media, email campaigns, the website, PR. Consciously or not, all of these and more are in a buyer’s mind when they choose a car. It’s a surprisingly emotional decision, for what is usually the second biggest purchase after a home.

Do I feel like a BMW person? Do they get me? Will I feel at home driving one of their cars? If you don’t know whether it’s an eco-conscious brand, a ditzy fun brand, or a straightforward brand, as presented on the website, it becomes hard to relate.

Common copy mistakes brands make include:

Inconsistency of tone
Channel rather than brand focus
Product rather than brand focus
Lack of coordination across audiences
Short-term tactics trumping long-term strategy

Our advice? Make sure there are brand guardians at the heart of your communications. They could be in your Marketing department, your ad agency or your design agency. And ideally you’ll include copy specialists. People experienced in making sure your personality remains consistent, year after year, whatever the product and whatever the channel.