Ad of the week - Jack Daniel's
Think whiskey, think Jack Daniel’s. The Tennessee sour mash brand has become as recognisable a sight in... Read post
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Blogs - Copywriting
Good Product Descriptions Lead To Better Sales
Consumer polls reveal that one of the most important features of brand pages on social media or of a company website is product description, along with user reviews and images. A great product description not only leads to better sales but also guarantees good Google rankings, if it is done pro...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ May 15 2013
Turn followers into customers
Companies are now using digital communications to connect with customers who were previously out of their reach, including international audiences. However, the best digital marketing strategies achieve more than directing traffic to a company’s website, or recruiting followers to social media pages.
Posted By: Greg Hoare @ May 14 2013
Is it possible to talk about tone of voice without mentioning the big three?
Have you ever decided that you wanted to speak with the voice of, say, Brian Blessed? It’d be fun to have such a distinctive, booming sound for a while - but eventually, you’d probably get sick of people mistaking you for the man himself. Sounding exactly like someone else doesn’t always work in your favour, so why do brands do it?
Posted By: Kady Potter @ May 14 2013
Ad of the Week - Virgin Holidays
We recently covered the latest campaign from Virgin Atlantic - and the extrovert brand keeps the fun coming with their new ‘Unleash your Mojo’ ads for Virgin Holidays.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ May 10 2013
There’s no time like the present to present a present - how one word can change everything
On a recent lunch break, I was browsing through the day’s news stories when I happened upon the following gem of a headline: ‘Anne Bronte’s grave error corrected’ (via BBC News) As you might expect, my first though on reading this was...
Posted By: Kady Potter @ May 8 2013
Ad of the week – Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic has a bold, brash image – and that’s exactly how they like it. The brand has been entertaining us with compelling creative campaigns for years.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 2 2013
Brands should adopt fresh approach to tone of voice
We all know about the power of non-verbal communication and the idea that what you say is less important than how you say it. Is spite of this, tone of voice is often overlooked by brands and by marketers, the Campaign blog says. The majority of brands prefer to stay on the safe side an...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ May 1 2013
Marketers rank producing enough content as top challenge
B2B companies feel increasingly comfortable with producing engaging content, but coming up with enough content is becoming more challenging for them, a new study from the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) reveals. The research found that almost two in three marketers said that producing...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ April 22 2013
Online and social media most effective for brand communication
For an increasing number of brands, communication with consumers mostly takes place on social media, as many marketers believe that social platforms are the most effective channel for building relationships and engaging consumers. This is one of the key findings from a new survey, carri...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ April 12 2013
Ad of the week – Hiscox
Advertising insurance isn’t easy. Creating a campaign that distinguishes a company from its competitors, while appearing genuine to sceptical consumers, poses quite a challenge. Luckily, Hiscox’s...
Posted By: Greg Hoare @ April 12 2013
Volunteer proofreading project covers 25,000 public-domain books
More than 100,000 people from around the world have helped to proofread 25,000 books for Project Gutenberg, the online ebook distribution service. The achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that all of the proofreaders were volunteers...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ April 11 2013
Five common copywriting mistakes to avoid
Effective web copywriting can make your business take off but doing it in the wrong way can put off potential customers. Here are a few of the most common mistakes that web copywriters make and some ideas on how to steer clear of them. 1. Watch out for too much hype. This is the equivalent...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ April 5 2013
Ad of the week - Waterstones
Surrounded by a constant blur of images and multimedia effects, it’s refreshing to see top contemporary adverts that still rely on words. We’ve been admiring the ads from one of Britain’s leading booksellers for some time now, and not only do Waterstones share our passion for the written word – they’re pretty good at using it for themselves.
Posted By: Greg Hoare @ April 5 2013
Three quarters of Facebook engagement happens in the first three hours
A new study from Optimal Social, a company that won a Facebook competition for developing a measuring and optimisation tool for social marketing, has revealed that the first three hours after a brand posts on Facebook are crucial for engagement. Researchers looked at data from hundreds ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ April 3 2013
Behind Cadbury´s Facebook marketing success
There are brands that are so popular and well-loved that they hardly need any advertising at all. However, this does not mean that they can get complacent and just sit around waiting for their business to grow. Actually, if they do that, they risk losing their market share to competitors. ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ March 26 2013
Content marketing: giving away secrets to get clients
Content marketing is now seen as one of the best ways to increase a brand’s visibility. A recent study shows that 72 percent of UK B2B marketers are increasing their content marketing budgets for 2013. But businesses that escalate the quantity of the content on their websites, and update it more frequently, sometimes still fail to engage with potential clients.
Posted By: Greg Hoare @ March 19 2013
Ensuring internal brand consistency for your company
There’s no two ways about it: branding is important. It defines what your business looks like, what it says and how it behaves. A brand’s consistency across all of these areas can demonstrate integrity, quality, honesty, and help to develop an important and lasting bond with customers.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ March 18 2013
Channel 4 launches ‘Tribes Live’ online community
Channel 4 has launched an online community called ‘Tribes Live’ for 16-24 year old viewers, hopping on the content marketing wagon. The scheme is part of Channel 4’s UK Tribes project, which was established in collaboration...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ March 15 2013
The Stratton Craig social media jargon buster: Part Six (P to R)
Welcome back to our series on social media jargon - we’re getting very close to the final instalment now, but there are plenty more words and phrases yet to come! This post will cover P through to R.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ March 14 2013
Timing is crucial for email marketing
While content and frequency are two of the most important aspects of effective email marketing, the notion of timing should not be overlooked either. This is what Tristan Garrick, head of public relations for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), has claimed, suggesting that marketers should...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ March 13 2013
Spelling mistakes costing British businesses millions
British businesses and banks are losing out on potential sales and customers due to simple spelling mistakes in web copy. According to an article published in BankingTimes online, research carried out by internet entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found that millions are being...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ March 13 2013
The Stratton Craig social media jargon buster: Part Five (M to O)
Our alphabetical list of social media jargon is already more than halfway through, and this post is the fifth in the series. We’ll cover M, N and O this time.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ March 8 2013
Think outside the box when blogging
Most businesses will be familiar with the benefits of maintaining a blog and the key aspects of successful blogging, such as providing fresh, unique content and giving an insight into the work they do. Previously this has been enough for the majority of brands to bui...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ February 27 2013
The Stratton Craig social media jargon buster: Part Two (D to F)
Continuing our series of blogs that get to the heart of social media jargon, Part 2 covers D to F.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ February 15 2013
Brand Marketing More Vital Than Digital Skills For Industry Employees
Recruitment firm Michael Page recently approached 500 marketing employers across the UK to explore which are the most valued skills in the industry. It found that almost a third of them consider brand marketing the key expertise a team should have in order to contribute to the prosperity of the...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ February 13 2013
UK Companies See Email Marketing As Key To Business
According to a new survey from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which polled 250 senior B2B and B2C brand marketers, more than one in three businesses are unable to calculate their return on investment (ROI) from email marketing. In contrast, some 60% firmly believed they were a...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ February 11 2013
The Stratton Craig social media jargon buster: Part One (A to C)
Social media is often described as a minefield, and navigating your way through content littered with some of the more unusual new words and phrases can be tough. We’re all aware of blogs, tweets and feeds, but if you were part of the ‘thumbtribe’, would you know about it - and would you really want to be?
Posted By: Kady Potter @ February 8 2013
What To Consider When Posting Content On Social Media
Content marketing is steadily growing in popularity with marketers and they all know that once content is created, it must be shared with the public. One of the possible arenas for delivering content is social media, but are all marketers aware of the steps they should follow for their efforts ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ February 6 2013
The Copywriter - Top ten tips for content marketing
If you want a quick definition of what content marketing is, and some simple tips on how to get involved, you’re reading the right newsletter. Content marketing has been around for years, that’s the first thing to remember. Many people and businesses have overlooked it so far, despite it gaining considerable and growing attention throughout the years. But since Google placed unparalleled importance on unique, engaging content as a ranking factor, it has become the next big thing, all over again.
Posted By: Caroline Holmes @ February 4 2013
What do you stand for?
Is ethics important to you? It’s certainly important to a lot of people, as Tesco found out recently when horse DNA was found in their beef burgers. To their credit, Tesco was quick to act, withdrawing the products from sale and issuing a full-page apology in national newspapers.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ February 1 2013
79% Of Smartphone Users Read EMails On Mobile
Email marketing is developing and trends for 2013 indicate that the field will maintain a strong position, but the way consumers access their messages is changing. Email marketers should take into consideration the findings from the latest Adobe Systems 2013 Digital Publishing Report, ...
Posted By: @ January 23 2013
Our starter guide to writing a great press release
Press releases are a key part of the way businesses communicate, whether announcing a brand new product or reacting to industry events. They’re part of the everyday news that we read, and can be found on specialist websites and in your local paper. As a writer, being able to produce a timely and engaging press release is an incredibly valuable skill.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ January 11 2013
Tips For A Successful Email Campaign
Evidence suggests that email marketing should retain its central role in marketing strategies in 2013 because it offers one of the highest returns on investment, compared to other marketing channels. According to estimates from the Direct Marketing Association, each pound invested in email ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ January 9 2013
Brand building through experience
Last year was marked by major brand sponsorships during the Olympics and Euro 2012 and now more brands are looking for ways to make an impression on consumers, beyond the standard direct advertising. However, while trying to engage consumers with compelling content, brands risk overdoing things...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ January 2 2013
Tips for boosting traffic
Time to make your New Year's resolutions in marketing? Here are a few basic tips on how to attract visitors to your website in 2013. Good content is always a major traffic driver. Whether on social sites, on your company blog or on your website, if you manage to create great conte...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 31 2012
How to avoid B2B content marketing mistakes
Content marketing is obviously here to stay in 2013, so it is essential for businesses to get it done right. B2B marketers have been especially challenged by the concept of content marketing, but over time they are starting to feel more and more comfortable with it. However, there are still a n...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 27 2012
Plain content isn´t enough, users want news
The internet is bustling with content and consumers are no longer satisfied with the sheer presence of content. What users are looking for is newsworthy and unique content and this presents a new challenge to marketers. Search Engine Watch has examined several ways to facilitate the creation of...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 24 2012
One in four Britons read emails on mobile
Consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to read their emails and this trend can be seen worldwide, in a number of different markets, a new survey from email intelligence firm Return Path has found. Figures reveal that email open rates on mobile have grown by 30...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 21 2012
Our predictions for 2013
2012 is nearly over, and a brand new year is upon us. Unfortunately, we won’t be having any special dates in 2013 – 13/13/13 is both impossible and incredibly unlucky (some would say) – but there’s still plenty to look forward to.
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 21 2012
Content marketing should tell consumers a story
Over a relatively short period of time, content marketing has evolved from a marginal marketing activity to a major weapon for consumer engagement, already recognised as a powerful marketing tool by the majority of businesses. Moreover, its power is not likely to decline, at least not in the ne...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ December 3 2012
Brands should adapt their emails for mobile
According to research from “The Mobile Movement”, quoted by email marketing platform Adestra, more than half of UK consumers aged under 35 read emails from brands on their mobile devices. In addition, more than four in five smartphone owners read and send emails via their devices. These ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 28 2012
How to use blogs for boosting brand reputation
Marketers need to focus on content marketing for better brand reputation and using a company blog can be a powerful tool for this, marketing expert Nathan Yerian claims in an article for Business 2 Community. In fact, a blog can bring up to 70% of the total traffic to a company website ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 23 2012
Blogging, social media considered key to business
As blogging, social media and content marketing continue to gather speed and turn into central factors for effective brand promotion, the importance of written communication is increasing. In fact, a recent poll from marketing software provider HubSpot shows that more than half of UK brands hav...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 21 2012
Tips for brand promotion
Brand promotion is a tricky business. On the one hand, the development of new technology has provided businesses with a range of possibilities to reach consumers, but on the other, it also makes it difficult to make brands noticeable and memorable. What most marketers would agree on is ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 19 2012
Secrets of successful email marketing
Recent research shows that email marketing is stronger than ever and consumers are generally receptive of brand messages in their inboxes. However, the question still remains on how to write an email that stands out. The Econsultancy blog gives a few valuable tips on wha...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 16 2012
Time for brands to work on Christmas content marketing strategies
Creating powerful and engaging content in the run-up to Christmas might prove the strongest tool for retailers this season. Most marketers have already focused their efforts on developing a working content marketing strategy in a bid to engage consumers and boost sales. According to Cli...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 9 2012
Top tips for great content marketing
It’s a difficult marketing world out there at the moment, with consumers being more selective than ever about the communications channels they want to interact with. Consumers are particularly savvy when it comes to online marketing – and why not when at just the click of a button they can easily avoid it?
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ November 6 2012
The Stratton Craig Grammar Collection - The Semicolon
Pens (if you’re writing), fingers (if you’re typing or using a tablet) or quills (if you’re from the 16th Century) at the ready: in this edition of our grammar collection, we’ll be dissecting the use of the semicolon in writing.
Posted By: Tom Walton-Freeman @ November 5 2012
Focus on uniqueness for better brand image
Success in business does not always come with having extensive marketing campaigns all over the world and trying to sell as many products as possible by all means. Instead, brands can be successful by finding their exact place in the market, defining what makes them unique and sticking to it, m...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ October 29 2012
Three tips for effective email marketing
Email marketing is widely considered to be cost-effective and to create a lasting impact and that is why it lies at the heart of many marketing campaigns. Because it is so popular, marketers have a range of different approaches to it and various tactics for engaging customers. Here are a few p...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ October 26 2012
Stop press! Is print really losing to digital content?
Print is dead! Wait, print is dead? We’ve been hearing this phrase a lot lately, as more and more publications decide to move online and release new content digitally. Readership and circulation of physical....
Posted By: Kady Potter @ October 26 2012
Content marketing seen as key feature for business
Content marketing is gathering pace in the UK, as more than three quarters of brand managers, agencies and media companies consider it a matter of importance for business, according to the findings from a new survey conducted by Econsultancy and online services provider Outbrain. Althou...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ October 5 2012
Google algorithm updates: Fear and loathing online
Three words strike fear into the online marketer’s heart - Google algorithm update. But these words are also what keep digital marketing agencies in work. After all, the basics of SEO can be picked up from the thousands of blog posts published online each day, it’s keeping up with Google that takes time, skill and a thirst for all things technical.
Posted By: Caroline Holmes @ October 5 2012
80% of UK internet users visit social media sites
British consumers are among the most avid users of the internet globally, and the vast majority of them devote a significant portion of their time online to various social sites. In fact, as many as eight in ten UK internet users have a profile on at least one social media website, according to...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ October 3 2012
Stratton Craig is 25 years old… and so am I
A full 25 years ago (or should that be one score and five?), it was 1987 - the year that the first Street Fighter game was released, The Simpsons made their debut on the Tracy Ullman Show, and Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the DLR. It’s also the year that Stratton Craig was founded, and the year that I was brought into the world and given an unusual name.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ September 21 2012
Tablet use soars as consumers engage in digital multi-tasking
Delivering quality content on mobile devices is vital for brands and this is hardly news these days. While most people are aware of the growing prominence of smartphones, the fact that the number of British consumers using tablets has increased by almost four times over the course of 2012 may c...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ September 19 2012
Delivering consistent messages across channels is a key issue for brand communications
UK brands need to be constantly alert when it comes to communication with consumers and B2B partners in order to keep up with shifting trends. According to a new study from PRweek, building trust, delivering consistent messages and dealing with the various media platforms are the most challengi...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ September 12 2012
B2B content marketing should be compelling and consistent
Creating content that is both unique and engaging is key to successful marketing, not only when customers are targeted but also in B2B communications. However, as more marketers become aware of the importance of content marketing, it is becoming increasingly difficult to create competitive cont...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ September 10 2012
The Copywriter September 2012 - Top 25 tips for great copy
We’re proud to be celebrating our 25th birthday this year. Established in Bath in 1987, and now based in London, we’ve worked our way through economic ups and downs, the rise and fall of everything printed, and the rise and rise of digital… everything. During this time we’ve learned a great deal so here are our top 25 tips for great copy.
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ September 5 2012
Two in Three Consumers Choose Email To Share Personal Data
Email is the top choice for consumers when it comes to channels for sharing personal data with brands, and young Britons feel more comfortable with providing personal details than their more mature counterparts, a new survey from Experian Marketing Services reveals.
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ September 3 2012
Can you help me please?
“Certainly, if you leave your details I’ll ask someone to call you back.” We’ve all heard it, and we’ve all waited for an unacceptable amount of time for that call, before ringing again, by now in a slightly less reasonable mood than the first time round. This irritation is how people feel when their question goes unanswered on Facebook or Twitter. And rightly so.
Posted By: Caroline Holmes @ August 31 2012
When appealing to international consumers, businesses need to talk the talk
Imagine that you’re looking to buy a product online – maybe a particular pair of shoes or a watch that you’ve had your eye on. You type the name of the product into the search box, and plenty of results appear. However, when you click on a link to an online shop, the page is in another language that you can’t read.
Posted By: Kady Potter @ August 24 2012
86% Of B2B Marketers Use Content
According to the sixth wave of the B2B Barometer survey, 86% of B2B marketers in the UK use content in at least some of their marketing activity. A total of 128 B2B marketers...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ August 17 2012
The Language of Fashion
Throughout the autumn and winter fashion shows of 2012 a pattern began to emerge. Designers were using the cornerstone of language, the alphabet, to inspire their work.
Posted By: Greg Hoare @ August 17 2012
Marketers Reveal Best UK Brands
Consumer perception of brands is extremely important for business, and finding out what they think and how they see the company is not that hard in the age of information and communication. However, this is not the case with professionals in the marketing industry, as they are not typically ver...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ August 3 2012
British Airways - don't fly this summer (but if you do, fly BA)
If you work in London, the last thing you want to hear about is the Olympics (sorry, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games). Based in Southwark, we’re already planning our escape routes to avoid the Jubilee line and we’ve no doubt Barclays will be pleased.....
Posted By: Harriette Hobbs @ July 27 2012
Written Communications Key For UK Consumers
At the start of the big technology boom that brought about the Internet, instant messaging programmes, mobile phones and social media, many people predicted that written communication was set to lose its prominence and would gradually sink into obscurity. However, it appears that things h...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ July 20 2012
Making Your Voice Heard: The Balance Between SEO & Your Brand’s Image
For any company that offers their products and services online, visibility is vital. New websites are created every hour of every day, and competitors can open a rival outlet in minutes, for far less than it would cost to set up a physical shop across the road. Even larger, well-known brands...
Posted By: Kady Potter @ July 20 2012
The Importance Of Written Communication
The quality of written communication is essential for a brand and this holds true for all the different ways of establishing a connection with customers - documents, contracts, e-mails, presentations, offers - you name it. In fact, all written communication speaks of the company itself, of its ...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ July 11 2012
What can Korean pop music tell us about great communications?
It’s summertime, so naturally I’m cranking out the tunes to keep my mind inspired and creative. My fellow writer, Kady, has recently introduced me to K-Pop – Korean pop music. These tunes are impossibly catchy, and almost addictive to listen to. Try as I might, I can’t get them out of my head.
Posted By: Tom @ July 6 2012
Content Marketing Predicted To Rise In Volume, Importance
According to recent data from the Content Marketing Association (CMA) budgets for content marketing are set to rise over the course of this year, as more and more marketers realise the potential of this relatively new industry. The growth of content marketing has been driven by the...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ July 6 2012
Original Content Key To Improving Google Ranking
Even people who are not professionally involved in SEO marketing are aware of the impact Google rankings have on business and on traffic to a brand´s website. That is why creating an effective SEO strategy should be a central part of a company´s marketing efforts.
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ July 4 2012
How To Create Successful PPC Ads
Attracting consumers´ attention and making them interested enough to click on an ad is no mean feat in today´s extremely competitive environment. That is why marketers sometimes find it hard to come up with innovative and effective pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Search Engine Watch websit...
Posted By: Stratton Craig @ June 15 2012
Who's winning the digital communications race?
Last month, Communicate Magazine (@communicatemag) highlighted the 2012 Financial Times Bowen Craggs Index research. The research assessed nearly 81 of the largest companies in the Financial Times Global 500, and found that digital communication is a troublesome area for many of them.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 11 2012
Consumers struggle to keep the faith
In July last year we discussed falling levels of consumer confidence in multinational corporations, and recent surveys reveal that the outlook is still quite grim in the UK.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ April 30 2012
Happy New Year!
We’d like to start by saying Happy New Year to you all, we hope the festive cheer hasn’t totally worn off and that the start of 2012 has been a great one.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ January 6 2012
Stratton Craig's New Face
We’ve just launched our new and improved website, which will become a hub for us to share our latest stories with you.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ October 14 2011
National Punctuation Day
On the 24th, the USA celebrated National Punctuation Day. We won’t spend this sunny afternoon telling you why correct punctuation is important, but thought we’d join in the celebrations with a few examples that make the argument quite well for us!
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ September 30 2011
How you can turn employees into brand ambassadors without breaking the bank
Following our blog post last week, we’ve taken some of the best tips from fellow bloggers about how best to turn employees into brand ambassadors. Because ultimately that’s what every organisation wants to do. And the good news, particularly for many public sector organisations, is that we’ve then applied our knowledge for implementing each action on a budget.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ September 23 2011
Restructuring internal communications in the public sector
At a time when the public sector is experiencing some of the biggest upheaval in many of its employees’ lifetimes, it goes without saying that internal communication and engagement needs a lot of thought.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ September 16 2011
Because story time counts…
The annual report is a landmark in a company’s ongoing narrative and, as such, must be consistent with the story they have already created.
Posted By: Brit Kennedy @ August 26 2011
Face value
Last month saw two L’Oreal ads banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for using digitally altered photographs deemed as ‘misleading’. This could be the start of something big for industries like fashion and beauty. And by ‘something big’ we mean a shift away from their heavy reliance on imagery, and towards more consideration of their written communications.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ August 19 2011
Lost in Translation
It may be a clichéd phrase but there’s definitely some meaning in this phrase. And Corp Comms Magazine’s recent article relating to the US X-Factor’s kerfuffle with Cheryl Cole’s accent reminds us all of how important that meaning is.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ August 12 2011
Our top tips for briefing copywriters
A good brief will almost always result in good copy. But we know that writing a good brief can be hard. Especially since we’re in the business of getting information from brain to paper.
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ August 9 2011
The Storyteller – August 2011
Rupert Murdoch’s media empire took a damaging blow last month, as the oligarch’s son and News International chairman closed The News of the World in the wake of the phone-hacking scandals. But how did competing newspapers, both with the knowledge of writing to influence, tackle the same story?
Posted By: Nick Driver @ August 5 2011
The Google Matrix
When it comes to optimising your website for internet search engines, Google continues to be somewhat of a conundrum. It’s unlikely that anyone other than the Google masterminds themselves could ever fully grasp the complexities of the system (and if they did, there’d be a whole new one developing at the...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ July 8 2011
That’s one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind.
Fascinating to read last week that as of October this year, the US will be enforcing a Plain Writing Act on all documents for public consumption. Although the federal government will still be able to ‘write nonsensically to itself' (thanks to this article for that fantastic phrasing), any...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 27 2011
Branding and Tone of Voice guidelines – our top tips
With rapid regularity, clients are talking to us about their use of... lack of... need for... tone of voice guidelines; a document that will help anyone writing about, for or from your brand to consistently and accurately encompass it. Guidelines determine the best language to use and how it should be used, both...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 13 2011
The Storyteller – June 2010
Secrets to creating great blog content At Stratton Craig, blogging is a crucial part of our clients' communications strategies, but when you’re posting three times a week - or even trying to muster up something original once a week - it can be hard to consistently create compelling content for your...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ June 18 2010
The Storyteller – May 2010
We’ve been struck recently by the sheer number of companies who are now using stories or, to use the jargon, ‘brand narratives’ as part of their communications. The academic theory of ‘plot’, ‘character’, ‘point of view’ and ‘meaning-making’ has spilled over into the real world and everyone’s at it, from Bupa to...
Posted By: Harriette Hobbs @ May 5 2010
The best secret clients
You know that the best clients are often the ones you can't talk about. That's equally true for us at Stratton Craig. But we can't help but let slip a bit of news about recent wins for two longterm projects with a pair of truly global companies a leading worldwide law firm and a top international...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ June 10 2009
It's a WRAP
Stratton Craig is a tried and tested copywriting resource for the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), who've chosen us to write executive summaries for three recent industry and trade reports. We allocated the natural writer for the reports, which totalled over 250 pages, and the finished...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ June 10 2009
HR for BP
We recently won a pitch with SAS Design to write the graduate profiles for BP's recruitment campaign. Having worked on campaigns for big organisations such as BT, KPMG and Savills, we were perfectly placed to deliver on the brief. We assigned one of our writers, a former national journalist, to interview,...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ June 10 2009
The Comedy of Errors
Every business has its own story. Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at some of the inspirational, lucky and humorous stories of the world's best known brands. Second up: Google. Google is unique in being a multibilliondollar company with a name that's a spelling mistake. Cofounders,...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ June 10 2009
Corporate Stories: The Beetle and the American
Every business has its own story. Over the next six weeks, we'll be looking at some of the inspirational, lucky and humorous stories of the world's best known brands. First up: Volkswagen. Before 1959, Volkswagen had had a chequered history, tainted by associations with Hitler, and not exactly...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 20 2009
LawNet chooses Stratton Craig to manage comms
LawNet is choosing to maintain its customer communications when others are scaling it down, and continuing to use Stratton Craig for all their editorial responsibilities. Stratton Craig has worked with LawNet, the UK’s leading network of independent legal practices, for over 10 years. This longterm relationship...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 6 2009
Stratton Craig ranked among the South West’s best creative companies
Stratton Craig has made it into the South West's Top 100 Creative Companies league table. The league table, published in May, is the first annual roundup of all the leading TV, digital, marketing, design, PR, publishing and animation companies across the region. Companies are judged on a number of...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ May 6 2009
Watch your language
How do you turn a good brand into a worldclass asset? Language is absolutely central to how people - both customers and staff - experience a brand. Not everyone has the budget to outsource all the writing for their brand, so Stratton Craig has launched a new service to help clients harness the real value...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ April 20 2009
Stratton Craig and the corporate beanstalk
Once upon a time there was a very big company... When you hear the term ‘storytelling’, you may conjure up thoughts of The Wizard of Oz or Narnia. But storytelling isn’t restricted to fiction, and is an essential part of corporate communications. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ April 20 2009
The power of copywriting
Talking is one thing. Talking with power, persuasion, confidence and consistency is another. At a time when consumers and businesses alike are confused as to who to trust, it’s imperative that your business and brand stand out from the crowd. It’s no longer enough to just put a few words down on paper...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ March 18 2009
Nivea for Men looks to Stratton Craig for inspiration
Stratton Craig has helped crack a creative conundrum with packaging copy for Nivea for Men gift packs. Design Activity has developed artwork for a range of Nivea for Men gift packs, with a consistent design theme across all products, using witty front of pack copy that ties in with a Nivea ad campaign. But...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ March 18 2009
Stratton Craig helps Welsh Assembly Government
International Business Wales (IBW) has again chosen Stratton Craig to assist with its communications to the growing Sustainable Technologies sector. IBW asked Stratton Craig to write copy for its second enewsletter, which contains news and updates on developments in industry and policy to stakeholders across...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ March 18 2009
Life without limits – Dorset Orthopaedic goes live
We have been working alongside Dorset Orthopaedic over the past few months in a complete overhaul of their business communications. Their new website has gone live, www.dorsetortho.com, along with a wide variety of collateral promoting the Life without limits message. Stratton Craig has also been working...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ March 10 2009
KPMG chooses Stratton Craig to help recruit the best in Brazil
Stratton Craig has been working with KPMG on the latest in a series of global recruitment campaigns, this time focusing on how a stint in Brazil could benefit their careers and personal development. To many people, Brazil may be all about the beach, Carnaval and Samba - but it’s also an economy that has...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ March 10 2009
Stratton Craig gets a refreshed look and revitalised services
Stratton Craig, the original copywriting agency, has undergone a rebrand to refresh its identity - and is publishing a new website as a launchpad for its extensive writing and management services. The new website, which carries the new Stratton Craig strapline ‘It’s all in the detail’, features intuitively...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ February 4 2009
Practice what you preach
They say you should practice what you preach, which is why Stratton Craig is currently undergoing a complete rebrand. In order to communicate ourselves more effectively and reflect the changing nature of the business, Stratton Craig is undergoing a complete business overhaul from website to business cards. So...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ December 15 2008
BA Holidays checks in with Stratton Craig
Stratton Craig, the original copywriting agency, has won a pitch to write BA Holidays’ mammoth new website. Stratton Craig was invited to pitch against three other writing agencies to write web copy for 1200 hotels, and won the project after submitting sample copy by a highly experienced travel writer,...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ November 2 2008
European hotel giant books Stratton Craig to write trends newsletters
Accor is the European leader in hotels and produces three newsletters every year that explore trends in the hotel industry and the wider world. Accor asked Stratton Craig to pitch for the contract to write these newsletters, which are based on research collated by a Parisbased team. Stratton Craig submitted...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ October 23 2008
Welcome..
Welcome to The Blog, by Stratton Craig. As this is our first post, I'll be keeping it brief and concise. The aim of this, as can be expected from a company blog, is to keep our clients and potential customers up to date with our services, offers and general 'goings ons' in the Stratton Craig...
Posted By: Nina Whittaker @ October 19 2008
Our Writing Services:
Copywriting
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Digital Copy
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Tone of Voice
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Annual Reports
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Copywriter Training
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Translation
Copywriting
From ad campaigns and press releases to brochures, websites and speeches.
Digital Copy
Our written communications specialists will help you develop a long-term digital strategy.
Tone of Voice
Defining your verbal identity will take you back to basics with your brand.
Annual Reports
Management and writing of annual reports from start to finish.
Copywriter Training
We will work with you to create communications training that’s entirely appropriate for your needs.
Translation
We support international companies with award-winning translation services.