Four copywriting tips from Stanley Tucci
If I were to make a Venn diagram of my interests, Stanley Tucci would probably be slap bang in the middle. Food, film, Italy.
I’m not the only Doer who’s in love with Tucci, but I’d say I’m Stan’s biggest stan.
Read his memoir, follow his Instagram videos, or watch his food documentaries, and you’ll see someone who knows what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Which are essentially three things every brand struggles with.
Am I making a tenuous link between Tucci and a brand’s tone of voice? You’re goddamn right I am.
If you’re responsible for a brand’s copywriting, then there are four lessons you can learn from Tucci…
1. What do you have passionate views on?
Tucci loves food, drinks and Italy (amongst other things I’m sure).
When you talk about things you love, people are more likely to listen to what you’re saying. Think of the last time you had to make small talk with someone you didn’t really know. I bet it was boring. You probably spoke about what you do, not why you do it.
This is the same with brands. They constantly say what they do, but they never really say why they do it.
I’m not talking about bland purpose here. I’m talking about having answers to the following questions (and communicating those answers to your audience):
Why did we start doing this?
If we don’t do this, what problems will our audience have?
What qualities must the best products solving these problems have?
Why must they have them?
2. Got your views? Become an authority on them.
When Tucci talks, you listen. Why? Because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s an expert on Italian food. He knows the little details that you’ll want to store in your Notes app to bring out at parties.
When you’ve decided what your brand is passionate about, become an expert. Then keep talking about it. Again. And again. And again.
A lot of brands say things like: “our industry is broken.” They write a blog post or put a big bold statement on their About Us page.
The problem? They don’t invest time in becoming an expert and communicating the importance of their message to their audience. The result? They sound like every other company and never develop a brand around their views. Their audience can’t buy into what they’re saying and thinks it’s just marketing speak (leading to a lack of trust).
Who’s doing the expert thing well?
Hiut Denim. They make jeans, but they have passionate views about doing one thing well i.e. only making jeans. So they have a newsletter dedicated to talking about other people, places and things that are doing one thing well. They’re the authorities on doing one thing well, so when you decide you want the best possible pair of jeans, who else would you buy from?
3. Find new ways to talk about old things.
Everyone knows how to make a gin and tonic, so really there’s no need for the above video (look past the fact that it’s actually an advert). But Tucci presents it in a way that’s different, charming, and magnetic.
You can apply this third lesson to two areas.
When you’re talking about your brand’s passionate views (see above re repeating your message again, and again, and again). Use different formats, content, stories, examples, stats etc.
When you’re using figures of speech or well-worn phrases e.g. “it won’t break the bank”, “ignorance is bliss,” “our unique and pleasant dining experience will be sure to exceed expectations.” Use these if you want to sound like every other brand.
If you don’t (hint hint, you don’t), flip phrases on their head and get creative. “It won’t melt your monzo,” “ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s agony,” “it’s about as unique as a Banksy print that gets shredded at auction.”
4. Be human. Be light.
Tucci has a sense of humour. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and he knows his style.
Your brand doesn’t have to be earnest and serious all the time. In fact, when you speak like a human, and get the right balance between funny but not over the top or friendly but not matey, people will be happier to hear from you.
This doesn’t mean you have to be as meta as Oatly or as cheeky as Innocent. Nor does it mean you have to invest loads of time finding your perfect tone.
Simply start by looking at five places your customer interacts with your product. Your ‘How it Works’ page or first welcome email.
Is there a way to lighten the mood? To show you’re a bit different from a competitor? Maybe even to express some character? Spoiler: there is.
To summarise: think WWSTD (What would Stanley Tucci do?)
Whatever industry you work in, or problem you solve, you can apply these four lessons to your brand.
Of course, how you apply them may be different to what I’ve suggested above. You may want your brand to be a bit more Anthony Bourdain than Stanley Tucci, and that will require slight tweaks here and there.
I love Stanley (can you tell?), but your brand may love someone else. In fact, before approaching any copywriting or brand work, a useful question to answer is: if we were to describe our brand as a famous person or film character, who would it be?
This may be someone who could be your celebrity endorser, or the type of person you’d like to attract, or an individual who inspires your thinking.
Whoever it is, putting a face to your brand, especially a face that people know, can help your team understand what you’re trying to say and how you’re trying to say it.
It’s also a great way of standing out and sounding different. Example? Birch, a hotel and members club that uses Bill Murray to describe their ethos (see here).
Need some help finding your Bill Murray? Get in touch today.