portfolio_richard harrison
TRANSCRIPT
Richard Harrison
Portfolio
AndersonThis construction company built its reputation on groundworks projects before adding remediation and building development to the mix in recent years.
Communication challenge
With the groundworks arena increasingly competitive, the board hired a communications agency – including Richard as copywriter – to investigate re-positioning the company.
The research showed that Anderson was known to its clients and associates, although potential clients were either unaware of the Group or saw it as “just another groundworks company”. The company needed a stand-out marketing approach that put remediation and development at its heart.
Copywriting solution
Richard worked with the agency team to generate a number of design and copy options, all underpinned by his new strapline: “Bringing life to lost land”.
This strapline re-positioned the brand within the right marketplace, giving it a fresh tone and an emotional appeal that was truly distinctive.
Richard also crafted dummy copy for the proposed new website, case studies, ads, and other written materials.
The Chartered Institute of BuildingThe CIOB is the world’s largest professional body for the construction industry. Its members work globally to develop, conserve, and improve the built environment.
Communication challenge
The CIOB wanted to publish a book about Institute members, past and present, responsible for famous buildings around the world. The original manuscript comprised profiles of current industry icons and historical luminaries that all needed editing. The task included reducing the word count and making the language and structure of the profiles more consistent.
Copy-editing solution
Working with the CIOB’s press and communications department, Richard agreed an editorial plan and the guidelines for a typical profile entry. The latter ensured consistency, while the former guaranteed a steady workflow and the achievement of the printing deadline.
Richard continues to work with a variety of CIOB departments, copy-editing research reports and other publications including materials related to the Institute’s Complex Projects Contract project.
The MEL GroupThis Suffolk engineering firm works in the aerospace, defence and industrial sectors within the UK and internationally.
Communication challenge
The company has grown organically, as well as through acquisition, since 1968 and needed a new corporate brochure to clarify the set-up and services on offer. The MD invited Richard to create the copy and bring consistency to the marketing message.
Copywriting solution
Richard met the board to discuss the preferred market positioning and messaging, then crafted some draft pages to gain feedback on the tone and content. After minimal amends, he then completed the project and hit the publication deadline.
The Group’s internal marketing team adapted some of the copy for the company’s new website.
Royal Institute of British ArchitectsThrough the work of its members, as well as its own advocacy, training and other initiatives, RIBA champions better buildings, communities and the environment.
Communication challenge
The Institute had experienced a drop in subscription renewals in successive years and wanted to reverse the trend. The Marketing team hired Richard to review the emails, letters and other reminders used in earlier campaigns and to suggest amendments and improvements.
Copywriting solution
Richard dissected the subscription communications using his PAGES analysis technique to consider the Power, Architecture (structure), Grammar, Eloquence and Style of every piece of writing.
This allowed Richard to identify specific issues relating to clarity and brevity, the use of language, and the overall tone, impact and persuasiveness of the materials. As a result, he was able to draft example texts that included the appropriate changes, and to train the team in how to adopt the improved style themselves.
VestasThe only global energy company dedicated exclusively to harnessing the power of the wind, Vestas develops, manufactures, sells and maintains onshore and offshore turbines around the world.
Communication challenge
With a worldwide market to engage, Vestas employed Publicis London to work on its communication strategy and deliverables. The agency hired Richard to write a series of wind turbine brochures that had to make sense of each product’s technical complexity, engage the audience and encourage further enquiries.
Copywriting solution
Richard discussed the products with the agency team and the client’s experts, establishing an information matrix that revealed several similarities and a number of unique selling points. He was then able to create passages that were applicable across the whole series, and other sections that were product-specific.
In both scenarios, Richard emphasised the benefits and structured the content in a way that made an enquiry to find out more the natural next step.
Pioneer develops and manufactures hi-tech entertainment products for the home and car – and nightclub, thanks to its DJ division that caters for both the professional and “bedroom DJ” markets.
Communication challenge
Pioneer DJ wanted to create online copy, plus a series of brochures, that captured the imagination of its young, image-conscious and tech-savvy audiences. While conveying all of the technical features of the products in question, the copy also had to be accessible and easy-to-understand.
Copywriting solution
By talking to Pioneer’s in-house experts and the DJs who use the equipment, Richard gained valuable insights into the products. These discussions also revealed the nuances of clubbing language and DJ terminology, helping Richard to create the right tone and engage the audience.
The final copy for the web and brochures adopted the appropriate vocabulary, without resorting to impenetrable jargon, and highlighted the real benefits of the products.
Pioneer
Dell provides customers with technology products and services that help them do more – at home, work, school, and everywhere else in their world.
Communication challenge
When Dell decided to create a customer support service, it approached IT communications agency Wilson Miller for help. The challenge involved moving people away from their preconceptions of Dell as a “box-shifter” and reaching out to the audience with a non-technical approach.
Copywriting solution
Having developed an engaging brand name and visual concept (using people’s reactions to solving a PC problem), Wilson Miller asked Richard to work on the copy platform.
As this double-page press ad shows, Richard replaced industry-standard technical jargon with conversational language to develop a tone of voice that reinforced the brand’s visual style and positioning.
Dell
SonySony is a consumer electronics company with well-known brands in games, movies and music. From the late 1990s until 2014, the company also manufactured and sold the VAIO PC range.
Communication challenge
Sony Information Technology Europe needed a copywriter to establish the tone of voice for the pan-European launch of the VAIO PC range, and to deliver all the written communications. The marketing – and the product – needed to stand out in a crowded market while remaining true to Sony’s history of stylish innovation.
Copywriting solution
Richard liaised with the engineers in Japan and national marketing teams around Europe before creating the English master-copy for all written materials used in the pan-European VAIO PC launch. To help protect and promote the VAIO brand after that time, he developed editorial guidelines and provided training to the marketing teams.
The new tone of voice sat comfortably within the Sony brand family, and yet distinguished the VAIO brand from the competition. Post-launch, Richard continued to write about the VAIO range while also managing numerous freelance writers, translators, designers, and ad agencies.
The EconomistThis weekly newspaper uses plain language to offer authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, and technology.
Communication challenge
The Economist wanted its marketing materials and other external communications to reflect the writing style of its journalists. The newspaper decided to provide relevant staff with writing training.
Copywriting training solution
Richard joined forces with two other writer-trainers to deliver an intensive one-day course to different groups of employees. When the course generated positive feedback, the newspaper extended the training to even more staff, including several teams in its New York offices.
Client Feedback“Thanks for all the hard work on our pan-European campaigns. You really understand the Sony brand and what we want to communicate.” Akbar Huck, Marketing Communications Manager, Sony VAIO Europe
“You never forget that our primary aim is to increase sales, and your copy always manages to help us do that.”
Guy Marong, Marketing Manager, Sony e-Solutions Europe
“This training session was informative, fun and made total sense. I will certainly be cascading this down to as many people as possible.”
One of 84 delegates from Crown Worldwide who attended a series of web-based training sessions
“You’ve really got under the skin of our clients – and they’re all as happy as we are.”
Stijn Vandenburgh, Account Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Business Communications
Client Feedback
“Richard is a creative copywriter who interrogates the brief in constructive and challenging ways. We worked on a tricky project that required an imaginative interpretation of the brief and he did a really a great job, on time and to budget. He’s also open and generous with his knowledge.”
Bridget Bouch, Marketing Communications Manager, Jablite & Styropack
“Richard has provided excellent written pieces and is able to pick up subjects incredibly quickly, showing great expert knowledge. From our first meeting, he knew what we were looking for and his style of writing was perfect. He’s one of the most genuine people you can meet; I’ve no hesitation in recommending him.”
Caroline Pennington, PR at FieldAware
“Richard’s one of the very few marketing and creative people I know who’s able to translate product information into strong customer values, while keeping brand consistency across many products.”
Satoshi Koyama, Manager, AXA Life Japan
