How to Write Award-Winning Copy
This post originally appeared at the Content Bureau blog. Part two of a three-part series. As I mentioned in my previous post, I was recently invited to join the judges of …
How to Enter Your Work in an Industry Contest
This post originally appeared at the Content Bureau blog. Recently, I was honored to be included as a judge on the Verbal Identity Panel of the LIA Awards, held in …
How to Find the Right Domain Name: Catchword Video
When do you need an exact .com—and when can you get away without one? How do you go about finding a domain name? Or negotiating a purchase from another party? …
How To Pick An International Brand Name: Catchword Video
Think you can vet a brand name destined for a foreign country simply by running it by someone you know who speaks the language fluently? Think again. It takes a …
How to Use a Focus Group for Brand Names: Catchword Video
Sometimes, properly conducted focus group research can provide a useful data point when evaluating brand name candidates. On the other hand, ill-conceived research may torpedo your best ideas and lead …
The Hugo Awards: Tarnished by Puppies?
This post originally appeared at Duets Blog. Have you read J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? What about Orson Scott Card’sEnder’s Game? Frank Herbert’s Dune? Maybe …
When It’s Not Super to Use Superlatives
This post originally appeared at the Content Bureau blog. So you’re supposed to be all casual and authentic when blogging. You might feel comfortable throwing around a few superlatives, like …
Who Owns Klingon?
This post originally appeared at the Duets Blog. The short answer: No one knows. The long answer: No one knows, and it’s complicated. As a linguist, I have more than a …
Namey McNamerson: What Happens When You Crowdsource Names
This post originally appeared at the Duets Blog. If I was in charge of naming scientific research vessels, they’d all get names like Boaty McBoatface. This, in case you hadn’t …
The Challenge of Creativity: 5 Tips in 5 Minutes
This post originally appeared at The Content Bureau blog. Sometimes when I’m trying to create content for clients (or write blog posts, as the case may be), I come up empty. …