WELCOME TO MOM'S STORYTIME
Formerly “blogs,” but what a blah sound blogs has! At SBD we know that telling visual and verbal brand stories is the most powerful tool in our bookshelf. Gather 'round, read some of our stories. We look forward to creating great brand stories for you!
Peter Herring: SBD Copywriter and Brand Strategist
We are incredibly fortunate to have such talented team members at our agency, each bringing their own unique expertise and creativity to every project. Today, we're excited to introduce Peter Herring, whose outstanding skills and passion for marketing have proven invaluable in delivering exceptional results for our clients. Peter’s dedication to strategic innovation and attention to detail consistently elevates our work, ensuring that each campaign is not only successful but also exceeds client expectations. In this Q&A, we’ll get to know more about Peter and the incredible value he brings to our team and your projects!
What inspired you to become a writer, and what do you enjoy most about the job?
Celebrated marketing writer David Olgilvy said that a good writer is someone who is interested in everything. I'm interested in everything; writing is a marvelous license to explore. As a poet and fiction writer, that means characters and themes that matter. That storytelling crosses over to marketing writing; it's still about the story. As a marketing writer, I love the variety of companies and fields I work in, the constant challenge to learn and promote new things, services, ideas.
How do you come up with fresh and creative ideas for your writing, especially when working on similar types of projects?
Walks, showers, inspirations that come out of the blue at odd hours. The best ideas don't usually come at a desk. Even if clients are in similar industries, there are differences between their product tiers, differences between their company personalities, and of course differences in their niche markets. All of these require unique messaging and proper "voice."
What’s the biggest misconception people have about copywriting? Can you share a time when your writing made a significant impact on a project or campaign?
People sometimes think copywriting is just about being clever. While clever words and turns of phrases are useful, what copywriters are really doing is finding the emotional connection between their client's products or services and their target audience. Then we write to that in language that reveals those connections (benefits) in a voice that speaks to the target audience.
While I can think of dozens of stories, a recent favorite is Iconic Magazine for SBD's client, Arciform. Iconic doesn't advertise, market or sell; instead it just tells human stories about Arciform's team members and clients, and adventure stories about fascinating projects. People love stories! But in the background, Iconic is also telling readers what a wonderful company Arciform is to work with, doing a lot of marketing indeed.
What’s your favorite type of project to work on and why?
A project with words! OK, kidding aside, I love challenging projects where I research, discover and learn about new products or services. Most of the fun is having a client tell me the features of their product/service, then digging down to discover the relevant benefit to their target market, and then crafting the verbal nugget that will entice their customers to engage.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone trying to improve their writing skills, whether for business or personal use?
Active verbs and directness are your best friends; don't write passive sentences and do get to your point without adding filler words.
How do you handle writer’s block or a creative slump?
Writer's block is just an idea that hasn't showed up yet; it's out walking, it'll be here. Often, if stuck, I'll open a second doc and call it Project Haha! Then I'm free to write anything in it, and that's often where the block-breaking ideas appear. I've yet to run into slumps and I've been doing this for 32 years, but if I do, I'll write about it.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about human behavior from your work as a writer and brand strategist?
Without going into brain science, people feel first, think second. If they don't like the feeling they get they don't engage, or even consider. We mammals are built for making emotional connections—with other people, pets, things. That's why brand strategists go beyond features to look for the emotional connection between company/products and audience. And why copywriters use a quiver full of tricks—including voice, emotional keywords—to establish that connection up front.
