I've never been good at getting engaged

Sorry Laura.

Apparently some people dream of proposals. Things like Venetian gondolas, or twilight backdrops, or rolling vistas feature.

I don’t think anyone dreams of their partner walking into their flat in Monton, shoving a cat off the couch and uttering the romantic words “David Cameron’s 100% bringing in tax breaks for married couples, so I reckon getting wed makes solid financial sense.”

Sorry Laura.

Engagement’s not my thing. Never has been. Not in my personal life (sorry again Laura - and indeed my friend Mel at college who was proposed to as a loophole to get a better deal on student fees), and not in my professional life.

It’s why I don’t “do” social for clients.

I can’t be doing with judging success in terms of likes, comments and shares. I’m hung up on things like conversions, sales, paying the mortgage.

That’s why this newsletter never gets any comments. Or many likes. Or shares.

Because I don’t care about that. I care about the phonecalls I get from people who were considering message first marketing or expert copywriting who mention they’ve read it, or when a long-term client replies to this via email saying “you’ve reminded me, I meant to ask.”

I’ve just never been very good at engagement. Selling, yes. Persuading, yes. Engagement, no.

But here’s where I’m going to break the habit of a lifetime. It’s Christmas coming up, and I’m infamous as someone who has very strong opinions about festive ads.

This year, not so much. Not many have stuck with me. So I’m asking you.

Have you seen a Christmas ad you think is good, bad or ugly?

If you have, then please, engage with me. Drop a comment down the bottom.

And if you’ve not, share this with someone who might have. On LinkedIn, or Facebook, or Bluesky if you’ve migrated over there.

Maybe engaging with me isn’t the path to riches that hiring me is. But it’s probably alright. Just ask the most patient woman in the Western world…

Look, she’s properly engaged with me!

Something mint - spread this one around

Funny? Check.

Benefit? Check.

Relateable? Check.

If you’re going to use humour in an ad - and it’s a great idea - make sure it’s on your audience’s level, and that they relate to it.

You’d be a nutter not to.

(You’ve reached the end - now share a hot, lukewarm or ice cold take about a Christmas advert in the comments section)