New Words for 2009: “Frenemy,” “Staycation” and “Green-Collar”
Okay, so if you’re like me (read: if you’re a big word geek), you kind of look forward to finding out which of this year’s “it” terms make the transition from blogs and pop culture to bona fide dictionary entries. Merriam-Webster just released their list of words that will be included in the updated 2009 edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Her...
November 25, 2009 READ MORE
Today, one of our most grammar-savvy clients emailed us with a question. She asked: If a sentence says, ‘A policy (that/which) protects the merchant against penalties... ’ should you use 'that' or 'which'? And why? I wasn’t 100 percent sure I knew the right answer. I was pretty sure. Mostly sure. But not totally sure. And, truthfully, I couldn’t have explained my...
November 19, 2009 READ MORE
Your Paycheck vs. Your Conscience: Should you Turn Down Unethical Projects?
You’ve probably seen those documentary-style anti-tobacco ads – the ones where a slick and smiling executive grills a series of job applicants about their qualifications. The questions start innocently enough – there’s usually a discussion about the applicant’s previous advertising work or basic office skills like typing or filing -- and then the interview takes ...
November 9, 2009 READ MORE
Stay in Focus: Remembering Your Audience and Message
When you’re in the middle of a copywriting job, there’s an age-old marketing maxim that can be hard to remember – and it can sometimes be hard to convey to clients: You can’t be all things to all people. Good copy does two things: It speaks to a specific, targeted audience AND it has a specific, focused message. The two go hand in hand. If you try to talk to sever...
November 1, 2009 READ MORE