I make paper for a living. People pay big paper (money) for my paper, brand strategies. Brand strategy is what my mentor Peter Kim would call a “selling idea,” an idea that predisposes consumers to a product or service, e.g., “the world’s information in one click” (Google), “refreshment” (Coca-Cola), “for doers not browsers” (ZDNet).
To get to the idea one has to process a lot of information, typically presented on paper in the form of a brief. Briefs are my output to clients. But they are buying an idea. That’s the honeypot.
I attribute my ability to craft good briefs to the proper creation and use of epigrams.
ˈepəˌɡram/
noun
plural noun: epigrams
- a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.
| synonyms: | witticism, quip, jest, pun, bon mot; More
saying, maxim, adage, aphorism, apophthegm; informalone-liner, wisecrack, (old) chestnut “a collection of humorous epigrams from old gravestones” |
o a short poem, especially a satirical one, having a witty or ingenious ending.
My briefs are filled with them. Hidden in a narrative, serial story. Clients find meaning and inspiration in my epigrams. They are word plays about them, about their products. They are memorable. It’s how I sell the idea. It’s how I come up with the idea.
The secret sauce. Epigrams.
Peace.
