Tag: Branding
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The Courage to Kill Good Ideas
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One of the biggest misconceptions about our industry is that the best creatives are the ones with the most ideas. In my experience, the opposite is often true. The people who consistently produce the strongest work aren’t trying to fit every clever headline into the campaign or every interesting insight onto the slide. Instead, they’re…
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The Writers’ Room Playlist: Midnight Margins
Midnight Margins is for the writers who tell themselves they’ll work for “just twenty minutes” and look up to discover it’s 1:43 a.m., the hour when distractions disappear, ideas get bolder, and second drafts turn into the third. These aren’t the obvious singles—they’re the songs tucked into the middle of great albums and feel like…
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Taste Is the Last Competitive Advantage
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I think we’ve been asking the wrong question about AI. The conversation has mostly centered around whether it can create, but the more interesting question is who decides what’s worth creating in the first place. We no longer live in a world where ideas are scarce. If anything, we’re drowning in them.
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The Shift from Getting it Done to Getting it Right
Five years ago, if you brought me a project, I would have gotten it done. Even if the brief was messy, the direction was unclear, or the timeline was unrealistic, I’d figure it out. That’s what I was known for, and for a long time, that worked. However, getting it done and getting it right…
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Branding Lessons from Holiday Ads
Every year, holiday ads show up with the same goal: create something people remember. Some succeed, but most don’t. The holidays are one of the rare moments when audiences lower their defenses, expecting sentiment and a healthy dose of nostalgia. They’re open to feeling something, but only if the story earns it. That makes December…
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The Basics of Copywriting: What Every Writer Should Know
People often ask me what copywriting actually is. Much to the chagrin of my relatives who still think I deal with copyrights, my answer is always: it’s writing with a purpose. Copy isn’t poetry. It isn’t your journal. It’s not even content, exactly. Copy is writing that persuades, informs, and moves people to act—whether that’s…
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How to Know When It’s Time to Rebrand
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When Cracker Barrel unveiled its recent rebrand, the internet had thoughts—lots of them. From memes to outrage to measured applause, the reaction proved one thing: people feel deeply about the brands they’ve grown up with. But here’s the truth: backlash doesn’t necessarily mean the rebrand was a mistake. In fact, it can signal that a…
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From Lyrics to Launch: How Taylor Swift Turns Storytelling into a Marketing Masterclass
When Taylor Swift releases a new album, it’s never just music—it’s a cultural moment that’s carefully orchestrated, deeply personal, and nearly impossible to ignore. That’s not luck. It’s strategy. And it’s one of the clearest demonstrations of how storytelling can drive loyalty, conversation, and cultural relevance.
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From Toy Shelf to Tagline: Copy Lessons from Labubu
Labubu is equal parts adorable and unnerving. It’s got big eyes, mischievous energy, and a look that’s distinctly not for everyone. And yet, Labubu fans are obsessed. Why? Because Labubu does what great copy does.
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Why Stories Win
As a senior copywriter, I’ve seen firsthand how storytelling can transform marketing from forgettable to unforgettable. While data and strategy are crucial, stories are what truly connect brands to their audiences. Here’s how storytelling can elevate your marketing efforts and how to harness it effectively.
Sara Barton 