BRAVE NEW WORD: The Podcast

Hello, people of the Brave New Word.We’re back with a big, beautiful, sad and fascinating question from an anonymous listener who is petrified of AI - and also afraid of being left behind by not embracing it. This is really the meat and potatoes of these AI of the Storm episodes. Because the reality is, AI is here, and it has changed and will continue to change the world around us. Throw your shoes in the machine all you like: that machine will spit out poorly-made knockoff shoes for free, and a lot of people will gladly wear those shoes and say they’re absolutely brilliant and anyone who still pays for shoes is a moron.But the reality is that it’s not a binary thing. There’s not Before AI and After AI. The world is still, actually, mostly the same. People are mostly the same. Words are mostly the same. People still have stuff to buy and sell. People are starting to realise those knockoff AI shoes are even flimsier than this metaphor. One of the best things you can do (in any situation, really) is to know your enemy. That’s why, in this episode, we recommend at least learning a bit about AI. Sticking your head in the sand has some merits, but ultimately, ignorance never serves anyone particularly well. We also dish out a fair bit of waffly other advice, and to be honest, I’ve forgotten a lot of it since we recorded the episode. I guess that means you’ll just have to listen to it.As always, please keep sending us your questions, comments and more. Oh - and please spread the word about Brave New Word. Send this email to your friends. Have BNW listening parties in your coworking space. Bonus points for the most creative/obnoxious promo. I might get Martin to send you a bottle of wine or something.Until next time! -H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Content warning: there’s a fair bit of swearing in this one. Some of it from Charlie!In this episode, Martin gets his passion project torn to shreds by Charlie “Danny Dyer” GPT. It might be my favourite moment in this podcast, ever.But the critique doesn’t stop there. We munch on some humble pie and answer the question:What’s your worst trait as a copywriter? I won’t give away the answers (it’s a podcast, listen to the thing!) but it turns out we’re rather similar in our faults.It can be pretty uncomfortable to put yourself on the other side of the desk and criticise not just your work, but your entire way of working. But being able to identify and own your bad habits as a writer is important: it’s the only way you’ll ever keep a handle on them.We also talk a little about my book (it’s a work in progress) and we put our Agony Aunt hats on and help someone face up to a real challenge: how to manage an unwanted and very annoying-sounding house guest. Until next episode,H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

This episode starts with a cracker of a question: when should one take the plunge into freelancing? We talk not just about the obvious stuff (money, leads, clients), but some of the things most of us discover after we’ve taken the plunge (time off, mode of work, loneliness).Navigating the peaks and troughs is one of the hardest things about being a freelancer - and managing the transition to that from a steady/insanely busy job can be tougher than you might expect. Fortunately, Martin and I are incredibly wise and offer several thimblefuls of our sage advice.We also answer what is probably our first question from a non-copywriter. Yes, turns out we have ‘mass appeal’. The question is about beer and curry, and I’m sure you’ll have your own thoughts on this one.As ever, keep those questions coming in - we love to ‘ave ‘em. Ka kite ano,Hayden Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

My favourite feature returns: hate mail corner! Only this time, it’s also an AI of the Storm question.Judge Dredd (I believe the real guy, not some impostor) calls us Podcast Idiots, cretins and — even worse — Australians. But His Honour finishes it off by asking a great question: Anybody can see that copywriters need to resist the rise of AI intelligence [sic]. How are they going to do it, and what form is it going to take? I won’t give away our answer here. But let’s just say this episode is hardly wartime propaganda, because as much as we’d all like to give the AI overlords a swift kick in the dick, there’s probably a better way to hold the higher ground. As mentioned in the episode, everybody should check out Felicity Wild’s Writers Against the Algorithm. That’s all for now - keep those questions and that hate mail coming.Especially you, Judge Dredd. Love you. H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

It’s about to get silly.In this episode, we begin with a serious question: what’s the biggest mistake copywriters make?(Yes, astute viewers will notice I mentioned that in last week’s summary, but I got it wrong. Sorry.)Then, things get weird in really British way. We answer a question that combines strange children’s TV and public transport. I'll say no more.Oh, and sorry about the audio - will hopefully have it sorted before we record next time.Regardless, please enjoy, send us your questions, and share this podcast to your heart’s content! H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

It’s been a while.Sorry for the interruption, but sometimes life gets in the way. The good news is we’re back, answering more of your questions and giving you the life advice you need/deserve. We talk about novel writing, a book in the works, and a perfect night in…so, the standard stuff.We also have a bit of a technical meltdown, so my apologies for the audio being a bit crappy in places. Oh, and in case you think “ugh, they’ll disappear again for months”, we actually recorded TWO EPISODES in a single sitting - so the next one will be out very soon indeed.In the meantime, enjoy and please do stay in touch. Send us your questions, comments, feedback, complaints, requests, secrets, money, praise, etc.Until next time,H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Listening back to this episode for the edit, I realised that we really didn’t come up with a great answer for this question. We get a bit wishy washy, I say ‘umm’ a lot, and we get a little into the weeds.But that’s because it’s about ethics, and ethics is a bit murky and umm-inducing. As if we copywriters didn’t have enough to worry about, we now have some ethical minefields. Don’t use AI, and you might fall behind your competitors. Use AI and be hoisted by your own petard, or tarred and feathered, or some other kind of medieval punishment. Ultimately, the only thing you can do is trust your ‘ick’. We also give a shout out to a very important listener, and offer up some TOTALLY FREE LINKEDIN CONTENT. That might be overselling it, but I’ll let you be the judge (you’ll have to listen to the episode to make that call).Please keep sending us your AI-related questions, or even just…any question at all, really. Copywriting, life advice, complaints (it’s been a while since we had any hate mail). Enjoy.H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

We’re back! It’s been ages since Martin and I have been able to get together and record - blame time zones, houses and holidays. But we finally got to look at something I’ve been very excited about: your submissions for the latest Y-Fronts brief. If you missed the memo (I don’t understand how; each email from us is unmissable), you can read the brief here: Suffice it to say: we had some chewy, delicious submissions. We won’t reveal the winner in this written update - you’ll need to listen to the episode for that.Until next time,Spread the word about the Brave New Word!H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Another edition of our miniseries THE AI OF THE STORM, this time with a very intriguing question indeed: Can AI understand emotion and persuasion the way humans do?It’s a yes/no question but not a yes/no answer, when you really get down to it. I mean…how well do we understand emotion and persuasion? How useful is our understanding? How consciously and deliberately do we use that understanding? Charlie really delivers a pretty darn good answer in this episode. Because if there’s one thing AI is good at, it’s being analytical - and self aware. We could probably learn a thing or two from Charlie…Keep your AI-related questions coming. We’ll be back soon with more content - and Y-Fronts fans, stay tuned for your next brief, which will be coming your way via email very soon…H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Brand voice is a funny old thing. On the one hand, it’s meant to be the key to authenticity. On the other hand, it is kinda…meaningless. In this episode, we answer an excellent question about balancing consistency with creativity. It’s perhaps one of the trickiest and least well-understood facets of the job for copywriters: on the one hand, you have to be ‘in character’, but on the other hand, you need to have a bit of creative freedom to suggest doing things differently. By way of example, shout-out to friend of the show Lewis Folkard, and hero of the show David Abbott: https://lewisfolkard.co.uk/ad-breakdown-volvos-if-the-welding-isnt-strong-enough-the-car-will-fall-on-the-writer/We also answer another good question: what novel should every copywriter read? It’s safe to say that the robots struggled with this one - Martin even got into a fight with Gemima…Until next time, IGNORE THE VOICES (at least until you start getting into trouble).H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Back to normal programming! This time we answer a question about that most insidious client behaviour: not paying the f&$%ing invoice. Pretty much every freelancer has experienced this at one time or another. If you haven't yet, you will: it’s the nature of the beast. But while it’s pretty much unavoidable, there are things you can do to protect yourself, and channels you can use to get what is rightly yours. We’re not going to give away those insights in writing, but let’s just say, one of the answers rhymes with “jet reflectors”.It’s not all about thugs in leather jackets, though. We answer a surprisingly tricky question: what’s the world’s best breakfast? Unsurprisingly, those robots really take that question literally, while Hayden dithers and dallies and Martin tells a story in which he really, well, makes a meal out of getting breakfast.Thanks all, and stay tuned for another edition of AI OF THE STORM next week!H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Welcome! This is the first in a new series for us: The AI of the Storm. It’s all about the hot topic at the moment: AI copywriting. Specifically, it’s about how we as copywriters can, should and shouldn’t use AI tools. In this episode, Martin and I answer for ourselves: how and why do we use AI? Spoiler alert is that we both use it. You’ll have to listen to the episode to learn how and why. But even now, I feel a little worried about admitting that.Because there’s a lot of fear and stigma out there about copywriting, especially from freelancers. I’ve seen more than one freelance writer on LinkedIn take an aggressively critical stance towards copywriters who use ChatGPT. In fact, I see a lot of heavy-handed comments about writers who use AI…and correspondingly, very few people admit to using it. But if one were to pick up their smartphone, a few taps on the touch-enabled OLED screen would take one to Wikipedia in mere microseconds, where one could read that technophobia has been around a bit. This is not to say we shouldn’t be worried, or that fear is unjustified. But before we go hurling our keyboards into some subaquatic servers, it might be worth learning to use these new tools (with a healthy degree of both scepticism and cynicism).Plus, as writers, we might just be the best-placed people to take the reins of AI tools and get excellent results. And that’s an intriguing thought.A very skibidi toiletWe also answer an excellent question: what’s the best country you’ve visited?Here’s a clue to Martin’s answer:…and in a strange twist of fate, I have done a wee in exactly the same facility. Remarkable.That’s all for now. Keep sending us your questions and we’ll keep attempting to answer them!H Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

WHOOOAAAAA we’re back! After quite a hiatus, Martin and I dusted off our microphones, donned our spacesuits and managed to record this peach of an episode.We answer a really important question: how do you deal with negative feedback? It’s something we all [should] deal with in our careers. And while it’s easy to let it get to you, it’s actually something that can really benefit you in the long run.The other question we answer is less important, but equally worth considering: what’s the best gangster film nobody really considers at the top of that list? To be honest, Charlie and Gemima do a pretty good job in this episode - on both questions. They’re getting better…Finally, we put out the call for more questions about AI. If you’re worried about it, curious about it, angry about it or simply confused, send us your question. We’ll give it a crack.That’s all for now! HaydenP.S. this episode launches our new branding. Pretty slick I reckon. Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Welcome to the first Brave New Word of 2025!Actually, to be honest, we recorded this one before Christmas. You won’t hear us offering salutations or welcoming the new year or any of that malarkey, because we didn’t think about it at the time.Prepare yourself for a lot of me (Hayden) talking in this one. But it’s in service of one of the best questions we’ve received: how do you charge for naming a brand or product?I won’t give away the answer here, but suffice it to say: it ain’t easy.We also answer a question that bubbles up from time to time: can booze improve your copy?Charlie and Gemima chime in with their answers, and they actually aren’t too far off this time.We’re still on our much-needed breaks from the rigours of writing, but we will be back to the Brave New Word coalface very soon with some very exciting developments.Until then, enjoy and keep sending us your questions!Hayden Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

WHOA.Hundreds of entries. Hundreds of puns. Hundreds of better-than-what-most-brands-use taglines and slogans.But there can only be one winner - and you’ll need to listen to find out who it is.Bonus content includes hate mail, Hayden sweating bullets as he tries to distinguish Martin’s submission from those of Charlie and Gemima, and a brief discussion about Moët & Chandon and valet parking.Congratulations to the shortlisted entrants and, of course, the eventual winner. Stay tuned for more Y-Fronts in 2025, and make sure to #spreadthebravenewword. Most importantly: have a fantastic Christmas.- Hayden and Martin Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

That’s right: our new Y-Fronts mini-brief is to create a slogan or tagline for jaGUar! You can even go the whole hog and make a full-on advertisement if you like.Martin and I have different takes on the Jaguar thing. Martin, probably quite rightly, thinks it’s off the mark. I, on the other hand, absolutely want a new Jaguar and love at least 67% of what they’ve done with it.But if you listen to the [quite short] episode, you’ll note that one thing Martin and I share is our grief over the death of great car advertising. We both Could this be your opportunity to win hearts, minds and the Jaguar account?Not to mention a bottle of Champagne from Martin. S**T JUST GOT REAL.Make sure to submit your Y-Fronts entries as soon as possible. Use our hashtag(s) #spreadthebravenewword and #yfronts to make sure we see it; you can also tag us in your posts.Until next time! Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Sarah “Human Dynamo” Townsend has just launched her third book, The Little Book of Confusables 2, and we were lucky enough to catch her for a chat ahead of the release.Sarah rose to bestseller status with her first book, Survival Skills for Freelancers. Her new book is (as you’ll guess from the title) a sequel to the pint-sized, powerful Little Book of Confusables.Each of these little beauties is built around hundreds of commonly confused words and gives “simple spelling and usage tips to help smart people avoid stupid mistakes.”Sounds like the sorts of books every writer should have on their shelves.We also talk to Sarah about how she manages to do it all, her journey to legendary status, how she feels about the state of the industry and a little about that old chestnut, Artificial Intelligence.Learn more about Sarah at her website and make sure to buy at least one copy of each of her books from Sarah's Amazon page. Oh and you should join her email list and follow her on LinkedIn, too. Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

It’s time to talk books. We get asked about them all the time, and 43:26 is not quite enough time to do the subject justice, but we did our best.We copywriters are lucky: we have an excuse to acquire and read as many books as we like. And there are a lot of great books about copywriting. This episode covers a few of the ‘core texts’ from masters like Gene Schwartz, Claude Hopkins and David Ogilvy. But both Martin and I agree that to be a successful, well-rounded copywriter, you ought to look beyond the classics. Heck, look beyond copywriting! * Breakthrough Advertising - Gene Schwartz* Scientific Advertising - Claude Hopkins * Tested Advertising Methods - John Caples* The Copy Book - D&AD* Hey Whipple, Squeeze This! - Luke Sullivan* How To Write A Good Advertisement - Blake Schwab* We, Me, Them & It - John Simmons* Made to Stick - Dan & Chip Heath* 100 Greatest Advertisements 1852 - 1958 - Julian L. Watkins* Can I Change Your Mind? - Lindsay Camp* Ogilvy on Advertising - David Ogilvy* Several Short Sentences About Writing - Verlyn Klinkenborg* The Good Psychopath’s Guide to Success - Andy McNab and Kevin Dutton* Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss* Grief is a Thing With Feathers, Lanny, Shy - Max PorterHonourable mentions go to Dan Nelken’s Self-Help Guide for Copywriters (mentioned in a previous episode) and Andrew Boulton’s Copywriting Is… (unfairly banished to my garage and thus left out of my list). But that’s not all we talk about. No, because someone asks us about snacks, and both Charlie and Gemima spit out weirdly similar answers yet again. We’re beginning to get a picture of the sort of people they’d be if they were, you know, people.That’s all for now. Except for a quick mention that this was EPISODE 10! I did not think we’d make it this far in. Thank you so much for the support - please keep sending us your questions and comments, and remember to spread the word about Brave New Word. Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Believe me, we’ll be back on this subject again soon.LinkedIn is a hot topic, and we get questions about it all the time. In this edition, we answer three of the most common ones:* How do you differentiate yourself on LinkedIn?* How do you build a personal brand on LinkedIn?* How do you come up with ideas for LinkedIn content ideas?Of course, you’ll need to listen to hear our [occasionally questionable] answers. Charlie and Gemima chime in at first, but they are as generic and equivocal as they have ever been.We also talk a little about music, with a SHOCKING REVELATION about Martin and Hayden’s gory story from a punk gig.One last thing - apologies for the audio quality in this one. The echo in Martin’s voice is because he has such a powerful voice it was getting through his own headphones. We’ll fix it…one day…Do you have a burning question or a suggestion for a short brief? Send it to bravenewwordpodcast@gmail.com or contact Martin on mail@mscopy.co.uk.Show notes and mentions:* Paul Taylor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-taylor-ab2721163/* Queen at Live Aid in 1985: Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe

Boy, we cover a lot of ground in this episode. First, we answer a common question: if we had to launch our careers again, how would we do it? To be fair, both Charlie and Gemima come up with some good answers for this one - at least, on the surface. Something we realise more and more each week is that AI answers look good on the surface - but does regurgitated good advice still constitute good advice? Martin and I chip in with our own thoughts, of course. Martin is a big advocate (and shining example) of writing consistently, almost obsessively, so that you stay top of mind and on top of your game.On the other hand, I argue that it’s not enough to write - you have to offer something more. Something AI can’t [yet].But that’s all I’ll reveal for now - you’d better listen to the episode for the actual advice.You’ll also need to listen to hear our pick of the entries for the latest Y-Fronts for Songwood Meadows Retirement Village. Despite getting the In-Pod Award for Best Line last time around, I am soundly beaten by at least one of our listeners.Oh, we also dive into the HUGE topic of James Bond films and talk a little bit about biscuits with questionable origin stories.Enjoy, and please do keep sending us your questions and hate mail.Hayden Get full access to BRAVE NEW WORD at www.bravenewwordpodcast.com/subscribe