Most animals find their true voice naturally.
For humans, it can be difficult as we deal with the daily
clutter of quick-win, smoke-mirror and mixed-message marketing.
Recently, I’ve been lucky to see, hear and feel some
memorable human voices. Here’s a wee
taster to help illustrate where I’m coming from…
Rules to be broken
A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Old Fruitmarket in
Glasgow; the perfect venue for the climax of the
J-Word jazz project.
It was a magical live experience which will stay with me
for a long time. Each musician, a
virtuoso in their own right, astonished us with solo expression. Working together, they discovered a fresh and
mesmerisingly different voice. Their
shared desire and confidence to communicate had liberated them to break the
rules and find new ways to captivate and delight their audience.
Note to self - work with others to find new ways to
captivate and delight.
Beyond words
The week before, I was captivated by a very different
performance; the same confidence and desire to share, but this time through the
language of dance.
The ‘star’ was the brilliant Brazilian dancer Carlos
Acosta. However, the hidden treasure
revealed from beneath his balletic wing was the exquisitely gifted Zenaida
Yanowsky; her movement and passion connected with the audience in a way so
beautiful it was beyond words.
Note to self - discover and reveal the hidden gems that
lie beyond expectation.
Angel delight
Early April, I was back in the good company of fellow
Dark Angels for three days and nights of intensive word ‘smithery’.
It was a Masterclass in Creative Writing for
Business and the follow up to the course I did in Spain in 2011 -
The Angels' Share.
This time we were living and breathing the rarefied
atmosphere of Merton College, Oxford.
Humbled by the creativity and confidence of those around me, I was
stretched and challenged to discover and express new voices: ghost stories of brands
of yesteryear; metaphorical musings to describe the everyday; team projects
inspired by flying visits to the Oxford University Press and the ancient
scholarly pubs still haunted by literary giants.
For one evening, author Phillip Pullman joined us and
generously shared his insights into the art of writing. His is a very distinctive and instinctive
voice and we hung on every word, our angel feathers fluttering with delight.
Note to self – flutter a feather with delight by
describing the everyday in a different way.
What the Noble Ox has this to do with the real world?
What is marketing if it isn’t the art of cutting through
the bland, grey-speak of everyday to find a distinctive human voice to
captivate and inspire your audience?
Whatever the brief, the starting point is to find that
voice.
During Noble Ox workshops, I share my favourite
definition of the dreaded B-word: your brand is the truth about you well
told. Daft as it sounds, I also
double-check that at least 99.9% of your target market are human beings!
All a bit obvious, I know, but it works. Thereafter, the job is to strip away the
nonsense, rediscover the essence, and then find the best way to tell that
truth. It’s an affirming and enjoyable
process. What’s more, it makes life
easier for you, your colleagues and, most importantly, your target audience.
Contact Noble Ox to discuss how we can make sure the
voice you use is your own.
Please visit
Noble Ox Marketing for detail on
Noble Ox Brand Design Marketing Services and view
Noble Ox Track Record for more background and client feedback on our work to date. For some extra flavour visit the
Noble Oxtales archive. Then, all you need to do is
contact Noble Ox.
There’s more to Noble Ox than meets the eye
