Hello. It’s Belinda.
The Fourth of July holiday is next weekend and just in time.
Because work is a pressure cooker right now, if you want to know the truth.
Something is ready to go “ka boom” and not just fireworks. I’m talking about yours truly.
It’s all because I volunteered to write an ad for the hay cube launch.
I’m the one who kept pushing the hay cube issue so as far as I’m concerned it’s “my” product.
But I signed up to write one ad. Just a little promo.
Next thing you know that “blew up” into working on so many marketing campaigns I can’t even keep track. First hay cubes then Fourth of July specials.
By the way this is on top of my usual work, not to mention my birthday emails. Which I am still getting to “at a snail’s pace.” If I owe you a reply I'm sorry. I’m getting to it.
This might not sound like much to squeeze in but I’m not just writing the ads. They’re using my photo too.
Which is fine except for what comes before the photo shoot.
Belinda does not care for grooming.
I thought the grooming and the posing were the hard part. Not the writing.
Because I’ve seen plenty of ads. Most are five words and a photo. How hard could that be?
And not to be rude but I’m kind of a “thought leader” when it comes to hay. Doesn’t matter if its in cubes or bundles or snackers.
So I thought this whole assignment would take 15 minutes.
I started with the hay cubes. As I mentioned last week, I ate about six cubes so I could “understand the customer” better. Then I stared at a cube and started writing.
I came up with 25 ad ideas and sent my favorites to my agent.
My top three hay cube headlines:
“Eat a hay cube or 10 and you’ll be able to jump the pen.”
“Introducing the only hay cube that gives you a firmer dewlap.”
“It looks like a hay cube. But it’s actually a micro-bale.”
My agent said she liked them but none of them would work because they were “inaccurate.”
Here we go again.
But the next day we had a little “brainstorming” session.
She reminded me how hard I worked to get this product added to the website. “Put my foot down” and I mean during meetings.
That’s how I came up with this:
Belinda wrote this headline.
Then I moved on to the Fourth of July ad. I thought it would “write itself” because of the red, white and blue theme.
I have red eyes and white fur. Two down. Just needed something blue.
Well, after five hours of working on new ways to spell “blueberry” I gave up. For the first time on this job I had to admit I was in over my head.
You won't believe what happened next.
My boyfriend’s companion asked why I kept stomping around the bottom level with “that face.” And I was so upset I told her. Which I never do with work issues because that's confidential.
Well turns out she’s a “whiz” at writing ads.
Here’s what we wrote together:
4th of the July sales
I thought I could finally relax after that but I was wrong.
My agent wanted me to write a headline for a special promotion email.
She kept “pinging” me on the company message gizmo.
“Belinda we need that headline.”
I said I didn’t understand the assignment. Stalling for time.
“Just write something to get their attention. Sum up the hay cubes and the fourth of July specials.”
How can I do that in five words. This is nonsense.
Which is exactly what I sent back to her.
“Belinda, just write an exciting headline!”
Fine.
That’s what I did.
Sincerely,
Belinda,
Spokesrabbit, Small Pet Select
