Turning false sincerity into genuine messaging during ‘uncertain times’

Image via Andrew Beatson

You and I both know how important words are. As writers, it’s our business to understand the effect messages have on the mood and behaviour of the reader.

That’s part of the reason 2020 was so troubling for our industry.

Last year (more than ever) brands claimed to know us and our personal struggles intimately.

And they told us over and over again.

Banks claiming to be our best friends. Supermarkets effectively becoming family members without our consent. I’m sure you remember it well.

Several of my own clients asked me to write similar messages for them, even when ‘comforting best mate’ wasn’t part of the brand tone of voice. We were in unprecedented times, after all.

But did this false sincerity do more harm than good?

Now don’t get me wrong — knowing the customer is a copywriting basic. So is selling with emotion. We get to know the customer and hit ‘em with a targeted message so alluring, they can’t resist clicking, buying, subscribing etc.

And to their credit, that’s what all these brands did. Like, all of them.

But in my humble opinion, this isn’t always the most appropriate tactic. Not during a worldwide pandemic*, anyway. People are losing their jobs, their homes and — worst of all — their loved ones.

I’m not convinced they need their local high street bank sliding into their evening TV escapism to tell them they’re understood. That the bank is with them all the way! Because let’s be real…they aren’t. They’re a bank.

I wanted to offer some alternative writing approaches to fire back at clients if they should ask for more forced empathy in the future (if you haven’t used these already, that is).

Show, don’t tell

The sentiment of caring and helpfulness should probably sit in the subtext of an actual message, right? The brand is getting in touch for a legitimate reason (not just to remind the customer that they exist) and offering a genuinely helpful service — like faster delivery or contactless interactions. The subtext of that initiative is care.

So, like…why bash the customer over the head with it?

Add actual value

Following on from that last point is to get the client to tell you what the actual value is (if they haven’t already). Otherwise they’re just shouting sentimental bullshit out into the ether for no reason.

Although it’s pretty sweet to get a pay check for almost nothing, sooner or later those customers will stop opening DMs and emails because they’re sick of it. Encourage the client to add genuine value or keep shtum.

Less we’s

I heard a lot of reassuring messages last year. Over supermarket tannoys, on the radio, in my emails. Brands wanted to tell me all about themselves — ‘here’s what we’re doing’, ‘we’ve doubled this’, ‘we want you to feel safe’.

There was so much we flying about, I felt like I was in the men’s toilet’s at The Crobar.

You know the drill here, my fellow writers. Some of these we’s are necessary (and I know because I’ve rewritten tons of these messages in my head) but some of them could definitely be swapped for the odd ‘you’.

At the end of the day, people probably don’t care how the brand wants them to feel. They just want to buy toilet paper and hand sanitiser without fear of death. You get me?

This is some basic shit. I know that you know this (because I know it and if I know it, you know it). But I also know that when a client is panicking or trying to mimic the messages they see everyone else using, y’all might have an issue convincing them otherwise.

Because I’m here for you. By your side…now and always.

*I also wanted to touch on the prolific virtue signalling around the BLM movement last summer. So many brands filled our social media timelines with empty and insincere messages about being an ally or embracing diversity. Most of them didn’t change at all. But this isn’t my story to tell, so I’ll hand over to Gemma Charles and her Campaign article.