Steal tips from these holiday messages
Hey, we know. Thanksgiving was so November 2015. But we couldn’t resist sharing these delicious holiday messages from two of our brilliant clients.
Go specific, not general.
So what if you don’t have a Cousin Bobby, your Grandma doesn’t knit and nobody in your family would touch a Werther’s with a North Pole? The writing pros at Toyota know that specifics, not generalities, engage readers.
Thanksgiving Toyota Talking Points
Turkey is pretty good.
Stuffing, too.
And family? Family’s the best.
But if your family is anything like ours, they ask a ton of questions. Most of the questions are fairly easy to answer:
- No, Aunt Linda, we’re not watching Scandal.
- Yes, Grandma, we got that afghan you sent, and the bag of Werther’s Original was, indeed, a special treat.
- No, Sam Jr., we don’t know why the sky is blue. It has something to do with light refraction (probably?). Go see if your dad knows.
But then they might ask you what Toyota’s up to, if you’ve driven that new hydrogen car (Mirai) or that cute little three wheeler (iRoad).
All you need to know is as close as your smart phone or any computer. If your Cousin Bobby starts ranting about how corporations don’t care, just show him The Toyota Effect, four videos about surprising things Toyota is doing to make the world a better place.
If your brother won’t stop pestering you with questions about the One Toyota Move, just stay calm and click the link to regale the family with computer generated scenes of our new campuses and interiors.
And when Aunt Linda just will not stop talking about Scandal (we get it, it’s good), divert her by clicking this link to the Fueled by Everything videos (featuring the celebrated reunion of Back to the Future stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd).
And then, after dinner, just settle into a chair, crawl under Grandma’s afghan, unwrap a Werther’s Original, and enjoy some quality Thanksgiving family time.
So how did Toyotans respond?
“We have been FLOODED with positive feedback,” writes Nan Banks, senior manager of Strategic Planning for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. “I swear, about half the folks who have opened it have responded with good comments and thank-yous! I think it is our best effort to date to engage team members in sharing social content and in giving our readers content they can really use.”
Which came first, the turkey or the egg?
My brilliant clients at Whole Foods not only write concrete, creative copy about raw turkey and unmashed potatoes — they do it year after year and make it fit on a sticker. Here are some of their messages from a recent Thanksgiving:
- Which came first, the turkey or the egg? Thanks in part to Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating Standards, we know it wasn’t the crates, cages or animal by-products in feed.
- From heirloom to kosher, fresh to frozen and more, find a bird for your budget and rest even easier by ordering ahead of time online.
- Two turkeys. 12 sides. 27 guests. No guesswork. Let us help make your Thanksgiving the perfect feast for everyone. Stop by our holiday table or visit us online for meal ordering and holiday tips.
- We’ve got your back this holiday. And your sides. Ready when you need ’em, however you need ‘em: organic, frozen … now.
- You say sweet potato. We say Garnet, Jewel, Beauregard, Japanese and Hannah.
- So many organic broths, so many ways to add taste to the table. If only Uncle Joe’s jokes would follow suit.
- [On Greek yogurt] An ingredient fit for the gods … or the in-laws. (Shh…we’ve secretly replaced your sour cream with a little something special.)
- You’ll be happy to serve our pumpkins to your pumpkins. Organic, conveniently packaged and ready for your recipe.
- [On cream of mushroom soup] Add a new secret to your secret recipe. Rich flavor. No artificial preservatives.
- [On cranberry sauce] Zesty, tangy, delicious. Just like grandma used to make, only organic.
- It’s what’s inside that counts. Like organic stuffing mix.
- [On nuts] The easiest way to have more nuts on your table than at it.
How can you make tedious topics interesting?
Fun facts and juicy details might seem like the Cheez Doodles and Cronuts of communication: tempting, for sure, but a little childish and not particularly good for you.
Not so. Concrete details are more like salad dressing and aioli — the secret sauces it takes to get the nutritious stuff down.
Now you can learn to use concrete details to change people's minds — and behavior — at Master the Art of Storytelling, our creative-writing workshop.
There, you’ll learn six quick ways to add color to your message and how to help readers understand big ideas through specific details.
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