T.A.E. (The Acronym Edition)
Newsletter #124
This Week:
A Hindrance Or a Help
ICYMI: Shhhhh…
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. L.T.A.A. (Let’s Talk About Acronyms)
Let’s talk about a common writing issue: acronyms.
In the communications world, they can save you some serious keystrokes, but they also give some important unspoken signals about who the writing is for.
Many fields are acronym-heavy: tech, education, healthcare, finance, government. If you've worked in one long enough, the shorthand becomes second nature. But what feels natural to you can feel alienating to someone newer to the space, making your writing less likely to be digested, or even read.
So when should you use them, and when should you hold back? Just like an acronym, here’s some short guidance.
2. ICYMI: How Calm Kept Us Calm
It’s a holiday, so let’s take a deep breath and relax. Here’s how Calm, a meditation app, used marketing to breakthrough a particularly stressful election night using…well…nothing. Just silence.
3. Spotted
For its 20th anniversary, Spotify unveiled a special, temporary logo that converted their green circle into a disco ball. People had a lot to say about it (most of them hated it).
Spotify doesn’t often miss the mark with its brand activations. Its annual “Wrapped” playlists, which give a snapshot of each listeners’ year in music, are an internet favorite. For their 20th, they unveiled a similar playlist that encompassed listeners’ entire music history on the platform.
We’re not big fans of logo modifications for special occasions. Maybe Spotify will agree after this?
4. Before We Go…
From the New York Times: James Murdoch, intent on ‘thoughtful journalism,’ buys half of Vox Media
“James Murdoch is acquiring roughly half of Vox Media, a dramatic expansion in American media for the younger son of the industry titan Rupert Murdoch. The deal includes Vox Media’s podcast network as well as New York magazine, a publication once owned by Mr. Murdoch’s father.”
Four-in-ten U.S. adults now get health and wellness information from social media influencers and podcasts. Pew Research Center analyzed the profiles of more than 6,000 of these influencers, each with over 100,000 followers. They found that 41% describe themselves as some sort of health care professional, and around three-in-ten each say they are coaches (31%) or entrepreneurs (28%).
From NPR: NPR trims jobs in newsroom overhaul as its confronts era without public funding
NPR is restructuring its newsroom after losing $8 million in federal subsidies, as the network works to adapt to changing audience habits. The cuts include reporting and editing jobs.
Send this to someone who needs a break today.