Really, how hard could it possibly be to write a press release about a newly designed serial cable with slotted hex nuts? Impossible! I spent all afternoon facing a solid cement wall, unable to sledge hammer it down because it simply was impossible to explain the concept on marketing terms.
Not that I didn't understand the new feature of the all-improved cable - on the contrary - I understood the concept perfectly and why it was better, easier to install, thus superior, I simply can't translate it superlatively. See, the new cable has these hex nuts. Not just any old hex nuts, but a newly designed pair. These stand-up, slotted hex nuts can be screwed into place with a screwdriver whereas the old hex nuts could only be done by hand. Also, not only are they simply nuts, they have a grooved end to it, making it actually look like a screw, but with a hex instead of regular screw. See? Now I've lost you. Even if I knew the technical anatomy of a screw or hex nut, I doubt my readers would. Even if you saw the images that go along with the copy, it still would be quite vague. If you knew diddly squat about hex nuts, let alone slotted stand-up hex nuts, the copy wouldn't mean shit to you.
I realize I'm writing for a target audience, one that should have some idea, should at least know some techinical aspect of the products we sell. On the other hand, I've dealt with some really, shall we say, challenged types, so it's quite difficult to gauge the level of "layman" that should be infused into a "technical" press release. Some buyers are savvy, some are competent enough and updated, but some simply just want you to tell them that they need the latest product. They don't care what it does or how many ohms it is, all you need is to make them believe they need to buy it. Lately, the directive for marketing jargon is to simplify (too simple if you ask me) that it seems our target is shifting, or rather just bleeding into the masses. "We" want to be so general that our words could appeal to the most common denominator, yet we are a "Connectivity Specialist". Clearly, "we" don't believe in a target audience, on the other hand, we seem to believe that we can capture the entire world and turn them on to our brand of cables. But why should they buy our cables when we can't even translate the technical into the everyday?
Maybe things will look up in the morning; I certainly hope the wall looks more like a curtain as I can't bear another day translating the merits of accursed slotted hex nuts!
9:01 PM | |
