Unstuffing Your Message: A Cautionary Tale

I’m still full from Thanksgiving. Very full. Let’s face it – a more accurate name for the last Thursday in November may well be “National Day of Semi-Historical Overindulgence”.

For me, the day after Thanksgiving can inspire panic. Christmas songs dominate the radio, seasonal temptations launch an unrelenting assault against my willpower and, before I know it, my bank account is the only thing light on its feet.

In this consumption-centric season, restraint can work wonders in all areas of life: for our waistlines as well as our communications efforts. Instead of playing into the advertising overload, we can use the excesses of the holiday season to inform intelligent strategy for the year to come.

As someone with an unfortunate tendency towards wordiness, I try to remind myself that less is often more. Can you cut back on any the following to craft a more compelling brand identity?

Press releases may seem like a good way to gain publicity, but, when used in excess, can rapidly lose impact. Instead, develop unique commentary on relevant industry themes to raise your profile and inspire discussion.

Messy marketing can have an easy fix. Simplified designs for these consumer goods, for example, lend evidence to the argument that more elegant design is simply the result of a lighter hand.

Shorter content yields a tighter, more authoritative message. To nail core messaging, try writing a “Twitter pitch” first – the limitation of 140 characters forces examination of what needs to be said. Extra content is just stuffing. It may seem delicious going down, but it leaves your message bloated.

By next Thanksgiving, I will hopefully have learned from this year’s excess. But for now, I have my eyes set on a turkey sandwich that’s occupying a pretty persuasive position in my refrigerator.

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