thinkstuff.media | Better words and stories

Better words and stories.
I like words.
Words can solve problems. Galvanise people around a common cause. Serve as a leveller, eliminating complexity. Establish authority and foster trust.
And they’re versatile little things. They can inform, provoke, challenge, educate, inspire, and entertain — even when used sparingly.
They can also do the exact bl**dy opposite.
Confuse and obfuscate. Polarise and divide. Create barriers. Undermine credibility. Weaken relationships. Sow doubt. And irritate.
Or just breed apathy.
But let's be real.
For most brands and organisations, words are unlikely to stoke civil unrest, mass dissent, or widespread customer defections.
What’s more probable — and arguably just as problematic — is that what you have to say, and how you say it, is all a bit of a nothingburger.
Blah, blah, blah.
No crisis created, but no spark ignited. At best underwhelming; at worst, a waste of your audience’s time.
The product of too many cooks in the communications kitchen. Internal reviews designed for an analogue era. Risk and compliance hurdles befitting a high-stakes M&A transaction. And a lack of direction, focus and conviction in the first place.
No harm, no foul... but no bite.
The communication equivalent of a movie with forgettable faces and a hazy plot line. Or that song with lyrics you can never quite recall by an artist you just can't place.
A mojito without mint, a steak without seasoning, a jalapeño with no hell-a.
We. Can. Do. Better.
It starts with that overused word, strategy. A cliché, but important nonetheless.
Before pencils are sharpened or fingers hit a keyboard, it's critical to be clear on the who (your audience and the human context behind the labels), the what (you want to be known for); the why (on earth it matters, or should, both internally and externally).
And let's not forget the how — specifically, doing it with spirit (authentically), at scale (consistently), and with flair (cutting through the noise).
Oh, and it means saying "no" and "hell no" to a bunch of stuff (a.k.a. focus).
So that's a little of what I think.

📞 If the above reads familiar... if you agree that words matter, and that yours could be done better, reach out and say hi.

🤔 If you’re not sure what support you need (or indeed if you even do), keep reading... it might help.

🤷🏻‍♀️ If neither of the above, I'm guessing you were either looking for the ice skating supremo RinkStuff (I made that up), or you’re already excelling at this… in which case, congrats.
Next: Services ⇢

Better words and stories.

I like words.

They can also do the exact bl**dy opposite.

But let's be real.

Blah, blah, blah.

No harm, no foul... but no bite.

We. Can. Do. Better.

So that's a little of what I think.