Be Creative with Your Clarity

Nick Warren
Mar 31, 2020
2 min read

Image by Ello Artist, Gerardo La Porta

There’s a major problem with a lot of the corporate communications around Covid-19. It’s not that they’re inaccurate. It’s not that they’re not informative. It’s not even that they lack empathy. It’s that they lack creativity. Whereas that might not seem very important in the current state of affairs, I beg to differ. There’s a massive difference between sending information and actively engaging with a reader. Look at any piece of great copywriting and you’ll find at least three things going on: 1. A captivating visual. 2. A compelling headline. 3. A unifying theme. There’s more to it than that – obviously – but these are the basics. A lot of messages going out are indistinguishable from each other because: 1. They use a variation of the same image – a coronavirus. 2. The headline is a variation on what has quickly become a cliché – ‘we’re here for you’. 3. The copy is a deadly version of a rambling boardroom memo, cluttered with jargon, repetition, doublespeak, caution, caveats and conditions. And yet every one of these communications has been put together with good intentions. There is a humanism behind the efforts to reach out to employees and clients and customers that doesn’t make it into the text. The result is that too many of these communications flatten the reading experience instead of creatively helping to flatten the curve. With a little more time, effort, experience, craft and creativity, each of these deadly comms could come alive with a sensibility that aligns with the brand promise, is specific to the message, and engaging to the target audience. So, next time you send out a communication about Covid-19 – or anything else actually – be sure to add these ingredients: 1. A compelling headline that promises a benefit, solves a problem, or satisfies a desire. 2. Clear messaging that talks directly and personally to a human being. 3. Useful, shareable information in a user-friendly structure. 4. One unique truth that differentiates the brand or product or promise. 5. A simple call-to-action that leads to an easy next step. 6. Great design that enhances the communication experience, without obscuring the message.