From dictionary.com: u-nique: having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint.
Snowflakes and fingerprints are unique. Hate to drop this on you, but most weddings are not unique.
If one has worked at enough receptions, you know there may a unique element or two at any wedding. However, it’s rare that one is blown away by original thoughts, at every turn.
What is annoying is the lack of creativity in copywriting for advertising to the bride. When a slew of other advertisers define their product or service as you unique, the word loses meaning and impact on the prospect.
Your wedding marketing message will have far greater impact if you can write engaging copy that intrigues the bride.
Now, if your business name, headline, sub-headline or slogan don’t contain the word unique, then please enjoy the holiday. If, on the other hand, you are using the word, unique, that is a felony copywriting offense. The Wedding Police hereby gives you a warning, and asks that you come back in 30 days with new creative.
Don’t agree? Post your comment and make your case.
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority
So what do you do when one part of your service that you pride yourself on is planning weddings and ensuring that each one has consists of a few unique features? (And when I say unique I mean truly original/created from your own imagination kind of unique features).
I only use unique in my description of my services but I’m now curious as to how I can showcase my strength in advertising if I can’t use the ‘unique’ word?
Would love to hear your thoughts
Mel
Mel,
in looking at your website, briefly, I noted four adjectives complementing your photo/music rotation.
Whimsical, Unique. Creative, Captivating
The only cliche in the bunch is Unique. If one looks deeper into what a bride may mean, if she says, “I want may wedding to be unique,” I think it’s fair to interpret that as meaning, ” want my wedding to be different.”
Unique is more absolute, and all encompassing than different. In a discussion, you can apply the word, unique, as an adjective, this way: “We can add X or Y (taking from bride’s suggestion) unique elements, which will make your wedding and reception decidedly different than any other.“
—
One other suggestion, and it’s a big one. I think your business name, Et Lofte, really requires an explanatory subtitle. On your welcome page, the page-title shows as: Toronto Wedding, Corporate, and Social Events Planning.
Two things: Grammatically, it should read as Event (singular), not Events (plural).
A subtitle should appear as smaller line, below your logo:
Wedding, Corporate, and Social Events Planning.
I think Toronto is important for the website page title, for search engine optimization. For your logo, I don’t think it’s needed. The beautiful graphics of your site draw people to the screen, so they likely miss the page title (I missed it 3-4 separate times).
This is true of your business card (though I’ve not seen it). People need to look at it, and know, immediately and exactly, what it is you do.
There is your answer: A FREE mini-consultation. I love your reaction, hear what you agree with or take issue with (along with the logic), and please tell me and the rest of the readers if you are going to make any of the modifications I’ve suggested.
Thanks for playing the online version of The Wedding Marketing Game.
Andy
The Wedding Marketing Authority
Snowflakes, Fingerprints and of course People are unique. I video only a limited number of weddings each year. I focus on the people. And I will say that so far no two have been alike.
I agree, unique is an overused term. What might be better? Individual? A challenge … to find a unique way to express the uniqueness.
Marion
Marion,
It is fair to say that no two weddings you’ve shot are exactly alike. That is not quite the same as expecting a reception to be unique ‘in all its elements.’ The latter is what brides begin to believe is possible.
Check my previous replies to comments for other insight.
Andy
Andy, I believe that when you see as many weddings as we do (and you have) then it’s easy to get hung up on the deep down emotion in the word “unique”.
While I agree that it’s really a very unoriginal word to describe a wedding service, I think brides will mind. ” unique ‘in all its elements’. ” is certainly how it must feel to the bride. Every BRIDE is unique, and even she went to some other wedding in the last 12 months at her same venue with the same DJ, same florist, same photographer, even the same weather – I’d almost guarantee her OWN wedding FEELS different.
Perhaps to the vendors, much of what they see is just modified slightly each week. However, I’m confident brides don’t see quite as many weddings as we do.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen the old “Ladies please return the house key, (grooms name) is now taken” gag yet the majority of the guests rave each time as if it was brand new. The jokes and throw away liners used in speeches – perhaps told slightly different each time yet still funny to the majority of the guests. Why? Because they don’t see it every week. Perhaps they have seen/heard it, but at the LAST wedding they attended, maybe 2 years ago.
All that aside – the use of the word “unique” is hardly unique, which is your main point Andy. Agreed.
Weddings are seldom unique, although they’re unlike any other. Every time.
There are so many cliche words used in almost every wedding vendor’s website and materials. I am guilty as well and even though I teach people not to use them. My current word that I see EVERY Dj in the world using is “Professional” and trust me THE MAJORITY of them are not. This word is also overused by ALL wedding suppliers and vendors. When every site says they are “professionals”, what meaning does it have?
At your service!
Alan
Above and beyond EVERYTHING, using the term “award winning” is THE most overused cliche in advertising. Exactly what awards have they won???
Agreed. The word unique is way overused, however, it’s a huge keyword brides (grooms, customers) are using to search and why so many (especially wedding invitation and favors providers) use on their websites. {shrug} They all want to rank for that phrase, but don’t quite uderstand that bringing a visitor to their website under false pretenses (unless they really DO have some sort of unique item – many don’t) won’t make a sale. In fact, it will probaby cause the custmer to leave, annoyed, not having found unique wedding favors, or whatever.