Nobody Has Ever Asked for More Copy

In more than 15 years of copywriting, I've never once heard someone say, "Can we make it longer?"

The delete key remains undefeated.

 

Words Are Lost in Translation, Not Transcreation

Words have definitions.

Ideas have baggage.

The challenge isn't translating what a brand says. It's translating what a brand means.

 

A Good Headline Earns the Next Sentence

A headline doesn't need to be clever.

It needs to create curiosity.

Clever is a bonus.

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AI Didn't Replace Me

It replaced staring at a blank page.

The thinking still matters.

The judgment still matters.

The taste definitely still matters.

 

Every Brand Wants to Sound Human

Some are willing to.

 

The Real Character Limit Is Attention

Not 25.

Not 125.

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Cultural Fluency Is More Than Speaking the Language

A joke can be translated.

That doesn't mean it will be funny.

 

Good Ideas Travel Well

The language may change.

The audience may change.

The medium definitely changes.

A good idea survives the trip.

 

The Blank Page Is Still My Favorite Part

It's equal parts possibility, panic, and optimism.

Which feels like a pretty accurate description of advertising, too.