🍣 Writing tips; gaming tactics; social as sitcoms; positive politics; the problem with sales; +++

3 free tips + 7 exclusive riffs.

Hey friends,

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Special shout out to Iona Ratcliffe at Ocean Bottle who’s fighting the good fight.

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Ok, a couple updates before we get going.

a/ Are you looking to make your break into the advertising industry?

Applications for VCCP’s The Table programme are now open.

I get to work with ex-tablers daily and they’re an outstanding bunch.

(Honestly, i was nowhere near where they are when i was in my 20s!)

I’d love to have a chance to work with you too, so give it a go.

b/ If this isn’t where i move fast and break (a few) things, then i don’t know what is.

I got some constructive feedback about the new publishing system.

So i’m changing it again.

One email per week, to spare your inbox.

Split by free content for all (~3 things), plus exclusive patron content (~7 things).

That’s it, no funky ratios, no inbox overloading, no complications – simple wins.

Hit me up if you got thoughts on this week’s email, i’m all ears.

And, to be clear, i’m also other body parts, otherwise that’d be weird.

Ok, dad humour over, let’s get movin’.

Estimated read time: 8 minutes and 51 seconds.

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1/ Writing

Writing can be one of your most powerful career assets.

But the process of writing is something that intimidates most.

Here are some tips and aphorisms that have helped quiet down my inner saboteur:

• Imagine you’re writing an email to a close friend, not a group of people

• Force constraints to sharpen your mind (e.g. single line sentences, word limits)

• First drafts are a pain, so don’t think too much, just put anything down

• First drafts come from the heart, second drafts come from the brain

• Know what your hook and takeaway might be before you go all in

• But don’t be afraid to change them as you get into the middle bits

I’d argue the first one is the most important one to get started.

As Kurt Vonnegut wisely put it:

“If you open a window and make love to the world, your story will get pneumonia.”

Ignore the public, start with a pal.

2/ Gaming

Don’t have big bucks to sponsor big games or mega streamers?

Learn from what KFC did here instead.

How does it work?

• Street Fighter 6 has a ‘build your own character’ mode

• So KFC created a playable Colonel Sanders

• Play as him, share combos, win gift cards

Why does it work?

• Reinforces their most distinctive asset

• Uses participation to grow earned media

• Gives you reasons to pitch gaming media titles

• Links to trial which helps prove ROI

• It builds on KFC’s history of small but quirky interventions in gaming

• Which over time add up to KFC’s reputation as a brand for gamers

KFC are masters at this body language.

Build reach by intervening in specific niches.

3/ Sitcoms

We often approach social like ads.

But what if we approached it like a sitcom?

Orlando Wood wisely says:

“Entertain for commercial gain.”

Social is no different, i’d argue it’s even more important.

Social is about earning attention, and entertainment is a shortcut to that.

But the industry has become stuck on shitposting / unhinged personas.

One thing i’ve been thinking about instead?

Situational comedy.

Creating comedic situations that feel specific yet relatable.

Take this example from Looney Tunes on TikTok:

@looneytunesBugs with the rizz

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The situation here is clear.

Dating is cute but can get awkward, as shown by Bugs and Lola.

But imagine you take it further, it becomes its own trope?

• Bugs becomes the character with awkward dating tips

• Lola shares all the awkward compliments she hears

• You create a mini sitcom show featuring their shenanigans

So how you can expand your content by exploring:

• Setting. Where are they? Are there consistent places we go back to?

• Traits. What are the defining characteristics of your main characters?

• Flaws. What are the things your characters often get in trouble for?

• Conflict. What is the main thing that often gets in the way?

• Comedy devices. Misunderstandings? Miscommunication? Running gags? Puns?

So next time you have a social project in your hands, here’s a tip.

Don’t just study brands.

Study sitcom scenarios.

Because brands think in campaigns.

But sitcoms think in repeatable formats.

And what you want is to find a cost and time efficient way to be consistent, yet fresh.

By doing this, chances are you’ll stand out from 99% of brands trying to hop on trends.

(Geddit? Cos it’s rabbits.)

Up next, patron-only riffs on:

• Positive politics

• Media diets

• Impostor paradoxes

• Maternal depression

• Planning as investment

• Roblox and tupperwares

• P.R.E.A.M (Profit Rules Everything Around Me)

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