we help companies to be more human

Insights

Writing one day at a time

Writing one day at a time

,

5 reasons you should hire Afia right now

5 reasons you should hire Afia right now

, ,

Is a new era of human business upon us?

Is a new era of human business upon us?

,

How not to cock up your coronavirus comms

How not to cock up your coronavirus comms

,

Who are Team Afia?

Who are Team Afia?

,

I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!

I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!

,

How to break free and find writing heaven

How to break free and find writing heaven

,

10 questions to ask if you work in marketing

10 questions to ask if you work in marketing

, , , , ,

My showreel, a decade in the making

My showreel, a decade in the making

, , ,

Could you change everything about your business in just 5 days? Join me.

Could you change everything about your business in just 5 days? Join me.

,

What’s your language revealing about you – podcast

What’s your language revealing about you – podcast

,

How does Appreciative Inquiry work?

How does Appreciative Inquiry work?

,

Trust me

Trust me

, ,

I couldn’t remember my words

I couldn’t remember my words

,

Peng and middle-aged dads

Peng and middle-aged dads

,

Your ears aren’t as busy as your eyes – Language Manifesto podcast

Your ears aren’t as busy as your eyes – Language Manifesto podcast

,

How to help your company to be more human

How to help your company to be more human

, , ,

I am not a number, I am a free man!

I am not a number, I am a free man!

,

How to make sure your new brand tone takes hold

How to make sure your new brand tone takes hold

,

Merry Christmas to you

Merry Christmas to you

Six objections to a new tone of voice (and how to overcome them)

Six objections to a new tone of voice (and how to overcome them)

,

How did Twinings find their global brand voice?

How did Twinings find their global brand voice?

,

Why companies break when they act like robots. And what to do about it

Why companies break when they act like robots. And what to do about it

,

Tone of what? Voice and tone? Brand voice? Explain…

Tone of what? Voice and tone? Brand voice? Explain…

,

New – Ben’s speaker showreel

New – Ben’s speaker showreel

, , ,

Sounding human? Take a look in the mirror

Sounding human? Take a look in the mirror

,

Brands need to get in touch with their truth, or die

Brands need to get in touch with their truth, or die

,

How small changes will make your company more human

How small changes will make your company more human

,

What your Ts&Cs reveal about your business culture

What your Ts&Cs reveal about your business culture

,

How to help your company to be more human

How to help your company to be more human

,

From New Delhi and Berlin to… Nottingham

From New Delhi and Berlin to… Nottingham

, ,

Quip while you’re ahead

Quip while you’re ahead

,

Should brands wave their national flags?

Should brands wave their national flags?

,

How do you communicate clearly, expressively and idiosyncratically?

How do you communicate clearly, expressively and idiosyncratically?

,

Remove these 5 barriers to become truly customer focused

Remove these 5 barriers to become truly customer focused

,

How to cut the crap and write so people buy – overview podcast

How to cut the crap and write so people buy – overview podcast

,

Are you ready for the truth?

Are you ready for the truth?

,

Free ebook – Cut the crap. How to write so people buy.

Free ebook – Cut the crap. How to write so people buy.

,

Podcast – Re-thinking the Human Factor

Podcast – Re-thinking the Human Factor

,

Go with the flow

Go with the flow

,

How to get people doing what you want

How to get people doing what you want

,

Think before you write, so your message hits home

Think before you write, so your message hits home

,

6 warning signs your tone won’t take root (and what to do about them)

6 warning signs your tone won’t take root (and what to do about them)

,

An Android Merry Christmas

An Android Merry Christmas

,

Bringing your brand strategy to life

Bringing your brand strategy to life

,

When writing gets serious

When writing gets serious

, ,

Demystifying tone of voice – podcast

Demystifying tone of voice – podcast

,

Stop all this passive aggressive politeness

Stop all this passive aggressive politeness

,

Ten scenarios where you might need a brand tone of voice

Ten scenarios where you might need a brand tone of voice

,

How can great writing inspire even better writing?

How can great writing inspire even better writing?

,

What no one tells you about your business writing

What no one tells you about your business writing

,

Should you start a sentence with and or but?

Should you start a sentence with and or but?

,

Four foolproof steps to better writing

Four foolproof steps to better writing

,

How to wind your customers up. And how to make them happy.

How to wind your customers up. And how to make them happy.

,

What’s brand personality?

What’s brand personality?

,

Stop pulling the wool over people’s eyes. Lose the legalese

Stop pulling the wool over people’s eyes. Lose the legalese

,

Getting tone of voice training to stick

Getting tone of voice training to stick

,

What’s Hollywood got to do with brand personality?

What’s Hollywood got to do with brand personality?

,

How Hollywood can give your brand great personality

How Hollywood can give your brand great personality

,

Two ingredients of a good brand

Two ingredients of a good brand

, ,

Can brand values get in the way of making money?

Can brand values get in the way of making money?

,

Is it a problem, turning nouns into verbs?

Is it a problem, turning nouns into verbs?

,

If you’re not workshopping your brand, you’re missing out

If you’re not workshopping your brand, you’re missing out

,

Video – why does tone of voice matter?

Video – why does tone of voice matter?

,

Brand strategy – escape the customer insight trap

Brand strategy – escape the customer insight trap

,

Twin tones. Why don’t people write the way they speak?

Twin tones. Why don’t people write the way they speak?

,

Twin tones: why don’t people write the way they speak?

Twin tones: why don’t people write the way they speak?

,

Three questions to ask when you buy training

Three questions to ask when you buy training

, ,

Why your business is a bit like this cake

Why your business is a bit like this cake

,

Brand tone of voice: is it the icing on the cake, or is it the cake?

Brand tone of voice: is it the icing on the cake, or is it the cake?

,

How to destroy your brand with just one sentence

How to destroy your brand with just one sentence

,

If you work with language in business, what do you call it?

If you work with language in business, what do you call it?

,

What training leaders taught me about tone of voice

What training leaders taught me about tone of voice

,

Is Bioweapon Defense Mode a tone of voice triumph?

Is Bioweapon Defense Mode a tone of voice triumph?

,

Why garbage grammar don’t get my goat

Why garbage grammar don’t get my goat

,

How to help your whole business write better. This list of skills might surprise you.

How to help your whole business write better. This list of skills might surprise you.

,

You’ll get more satisfied customers by focusing on moments

You’ll get more satisfied customers by focusing on moments

,

Your customers are NOT loyal to you

Your customers are NOT loyal to you

,

Brand strategy – has your swanky agency left you feeling cold?

Brand strategy – has your swanky agency left you feeling cold?

,

6 objections to a new tone of voice (and how to overcome them)

6 objections to a new tone of voice (and how to overcome them)

,

Nine steps to getting great work from copywriters

Nine steps to getting great work from copywriters

, ,

What does it take to make tone of voice stick, really?

What does it take to make tone of voice stick, really?

,

Changing the writing habits of a lifetime

Changing the writing habits of a lifetime

6 writing trends the 2016 D&AD awards reveal

6 writing trends the 2016 D&AD awards reveal

Why grammar pedants are wrong

Why grammar pedants are wrong

,

Dear Salesforce

Dear Salesforce

How small changes can reap big rewards

How small changes can reap big rewards

,

3 questions to ask before you start a tone of voice project

3 questions to ask before you start a tone of voice project

,

Have Aldi turned into Tesco?

Have Aldi turned into Tesco?

,

Ten tips on running a top workshop

Ten tips on running a top workshop

,

Did you know Nottingham is a creative hub for writers?

Did you know Nottingham is a creative hub for writers?

,

Have you got a good investment?

Have you got a good investment?

,

Trains are awesome. But I don’t want my chocolate to say hello.

Trains are awesome. But I don’t want my chocolate to say hello.

,

‘I can’t have anything that won’t make a difference…’

‘I can’t have anything that won’t make a difference…’

,

Can’t get no (any) satisfaction? Try this book…

Can’t get no (any) satisfaction? Try this book…

,

Creative writing, meet business

Creative writing, meet business

,

Never use a long word where a short one will do?

Never use a long word where a short one will do?

,

The history of English made fun (yes, really)

The history of English made fun (yes, really)

,

People want to hear your story

People want to hear your story

,

It’s like turning lead into gold

It’s like turning lead into gold

,

Slanging match

Slanging match

,

(Don’t get) lost in translation

(Don’t get) lost in translation

,

Positively, no

Positively, no

,

We’re in this together

We’re in this together

,

Drunk on words

Drunk on words

,

Happy birthday to… us

Happy birthday to… us

, ,

Fighting fire with distance

Fighting fire with distance

,

What’s the hardest part of a copywriter’s job?

What’s the hardest part of a copywriter’s job?

,

Let us challenge your brief

Let us challenge your brief

,

Not in the script

Not in the script

,

Ben talks tone of voice

Ben talks tone of voice

,

The importance of a clear tone of voice

The importance of a clear tone of voice

,

Al’s Crashing Heaven

Al’s Crashing Heaven

,

Let’s do brunch…

Let’s do brunch…

Winter’s coming

Winter’s coming

,

Tweets working for a living

Tweets working for a living

,

The power of personal storytelling

The power of personal storytelling

,

Theatre of dreams

Theatre of dreams

,

A chance you don’t get twice

A chance you don’t get twice

,

Copywriting that just misses the mark

Copywriting that just misses the mark

,

I am a dog

I am a dog

,

National Poetry Day

National Poetry Day

,

The invisible business of the face

The invisible business of the face

,

Schadenfreude is so 2009

Schadenfreude is so 2009

,

If you live in a house built after 1945, you should probably read this

If you live in a house built after 1945, you should probably read this

,

The sound of self-importance?

The sound of self-importance?

,

Keeping it snappy

Keeping it snappy

,

Idiosyncratic + ruthless = unforgettable

Idiosyncratic + ruthless = unforgettable

,

Don’t impress me, inspire me

Don’t impress me, inspire me

,

Why I’ll never get bored of listening to Richard

Why I’ll never get bored of listening to Richard

,

Cementing your brand language

Cementing your brand language

,

When one word turns you off a brand

When one word turns you off a brand

,

I wonder if a brand could make my life better…

I wonder if a brand could make my life better…

,

The horrors of capital headlines

The horrors of capital headlines

,

The importance of sounding more human

The importance of sounding more human

,

We’ve done some writing archaeology

We’ve done some writing archaeology

,

He shoots! He achieves his identified objective!

He shoots! He achieves his identified objective!

,

A tale of two letters

A tale of two letters

,

A little laughter goes a long way

A little laughter goes a long way

,

Impress me

Impress me

,

Video games and great storytelling – a match made in digital heaven

Video games and great storytelling – a match made in digital heaven

,

Mama weer all writerz now

Mama weer all writerz now

,

Bringing the doubters round

Bringing the doubters round

Whose job is it to proofread your copywriting?

Whose job is it to proofread your copywriting?

,

Have an aim in life

Have an aim in life

,

Split personalities

Split personalities

,

Another good reason to sound like your brand

Another good reason to sound like your brand

,

Hiding something nasty? Use legalese

,

Creativity or innovation

Creativity or innovation

,

Love Middlesbrough? Of course we do.

Love Middlesbrough? Of course we do.

,

The spammers are stepping it up

The spammers are stepping it up

,

Don’t you know who I am?

Don’t you know who I am?

,

One more reason to love Sir Wiggo

One more reason to love Sir Wiggo

,

Dare to be the same

Dare to be the same

,

Should we be writing beautifully? Or just writing?

Should we be writing beautifully? Or just writing?

,

Signs that work #4: watch your step

Signs that work #4: watch your step

,

Lighten up a little

Lighten up a little

,

Them and US

Them and US

,

Signs that work #3: Askew Art

Signs that work #3: Askew Art

,

Signs that work #2: It’s a boy

Signs that work #2: It’s a boy

,

Signs that work #1: one brilliant word

Signs that work #1: one brilliant word

,

Avoiding torture by PowerPoint

Avoiding torture by PowerPoint

,

The worst copywriting in Britain

,

Ask not what you can add to your terms and conditions, but what you can take away

Orchestrating the voices – the future for business copywriters?

Orchestrating the voices – the future for business copywriters?

,

Website copy – does it need a tone of voice?

Website copy – does it need a tone of voice?

,

Scams, spam and the right tone of voice

Scams, spam and the right tone of voice

,

#7 of 100 great branding ideas

#7 of 100 great branding ideas

,

Subscribe

Get your teeth into the latest thinking on brands and language. Subscribe and we'll send you our monthly newsletter, with blogs, articles and videos...

Get in touch

Fancy working with us or just having a chat about what I do?
 
t: +44 (0)115 878 9685
e: ben [@] benafia.com

We're based in Nottingham and our registered address is
Swan House
The Park
Market Bosworth
Nuneaton
CV13 0LJ

Registered in England 05760844
VAT number 848086102

Get your free ebook - Cut the crap.

How to write so people trust you.

 
Pop your details below and I'll email a link to the download.
I promise 100% privacy. I'll never share your details, ever. By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails with tips, strategies and updates. 
And you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks, we've sent you an email that'll take you to the ebook download.

Get your copy of my Language Manifesto

 
Pop your details below and I'll email a link to the download.

 

I promise 100% privacy. I'll never share your details, ever. By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails with tips, strategies and updates. 
And you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks, we've sent you an email that'll take you to the ebook download.

Get your free ebook - Cut the crap.

How to write so people trust you.

 
Pop your details below and I'll email a link to the download.
I promise 100% privacy. I'll never share your details, ever. By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails with tips, strategies and updates. 
And you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks, we've sent you an email that'll take you to the ebook download.