R. John McLeod

Sometimes the assignment requires a formal, business-like tone.  This was the opening to a letter sent by the organizers of a major Canadian sports conference.

 

“Thank you for agreeing to be a speaker at the Open Ice conference on the state of Canadian hockey.  Open Ice promises to be a watershed event in hockey in Canada, and the involvement and support of people like yourself is critical to its success.  This letter will provide you with a brief overview of Open Ice and what it will involve, along with a description of your role as a presenter. “

Other times the situation calls for an enthusiastic, emotional voice.  These were the first words spoken by the company founder and president to set the tone at a recent corporate conference.

 

“Wow.  I’m kinda speechless – and for me that’s really unusual!  I almost want to cry, seeing all of you here and knowing that so many more of you are participating online.  It’s really moving for me.  It’s been such a bizarre time!  This crazy pandemic!  It’s been sad – and difficult – and lonely – and frustrating.  And at the same time I have to admit – it had an upside.”

Some situations call for fact-based writing with a laser focus on features, benefits and competitive advantages.  This is part of the script for a video for an engineering/manufacturing firm.

 

VIDEO

Shots of pipe-production equipment in action

 

AUDIO

This is what it’s all about – CLIENT’s unique patented corrugating technology.  CLIENT’s corrugating equipment can be used to make plastic pipe of almost any size, from tiny surgical tubing to giant corrugated pipes that people can actually walk through.  From the smallest in the world to the largest, CLIENT’s equipment makes it all.

 

VIDEO

Animation of corrugator internals

 

AUDIO

Unlike other manufacturers, CLIENT uses a vertical design configuration -- and drives its equipment by geared sprockets instead of the more typical chains and rack-and-pinion systems.  Compared to other designs, CLIENT’s equipment is both remarkably space-efficient and highly versatile.

In print and on the web, powerful headlines attract attention and pull the reader in.  The bold tone in the copy below both reflects the brand and helps the product stand out in a very busy segment.

 

Welcome to Car 2.0.

 

Compared to everything that’s gone before, MODEL is totally different.  And at the same time, it’s surprisingly familiar.  Under the skin, MODEL’s technology is utterly revolutionary.  Yet the MODEL driving experience – the performance, the handling, even the control layout – is designed to make you feel completely at home.  It’s the first, and so far only, electric car that’s truly practical in real-world driving.  It’s a radical reinvention of the car as we know it.  And it’s a car you’re going to love to own, talk about, and – best of all – drive. 

In the right circumstances, a theatrical approach to help a serious message to land more effectively.  This is the opening of a live presention at a conference for a pharma company.

 

“The lights grow dim.  Smoke begins to fill the air.  The rumbling grows louder, then there’s a sudden flash.  The lights are restored to reveal a large bearded man in a medieval-style robe standing with Wayne and George.  He’s Nostradamus, and he stands still and erect, staring straight ahead most of the time and only occasionally looking at Wayne and George.

 

GEORGE - (Waving at the smoke in the air)  Man, you need a tune-up in the worst way!

 

NOSTRADAMUS - Who summons Michel de Nostradamus?

 

WAYNE - Um, I’m Wayne and this is George.  Although I guess really this is a corporate gig, so if you’ve got any travel expenses or anything like that they should go to CLIENT.  You want a mailing address?

 

Nostradamus dismisses Wayne’s offer with the wave of a hand.

 

NOSTRADAMUS - What is it that you wish of me?

 

GEORGE - Well, it’s like this.  We have a big meeting coming up, very important stuff.  And we want to talk to our people about the future, get ‘em thinking about what they’re going to need to do, and get ‘em excited about it.

 

WAYNE - And George said he’d heard that the future was your big thing, so we thought we’d call you up and maybe bring you in on the project.

 

NOSTRADAMUS - So it’s the future that claims your interest, is it?  And what do you know of the future?”