Copy for the conservative brits

writing for a UK-specific audience

[running scared]

The recent article about Brits being a conservative lot led me to think about how I should be writing copy when a site is only looking to appeal to a UK audience.

Do we Brits get enthused in the same way as those across the pond or do we prefer to cut straight to the point. Are we any less likely to be taken in by the blurb that so often accompanies North American miracle health cures or software packages?

What words should we add to our power word lists?

[cornwall]

I cannot see that you would be writing specialist pages for USA v UK unless it was a particular (peculiar) niche market

I write travel sites, and cannot see that the copy would vary according to the USA or UK readership!

[Shakil]

I had a similar experience when asking my copywriter to write for our 1st USA project:

Me: Can you write in American English?

Copywriter: I sure can, Shak sir. You just say when, an' I'll write those words real pretty for ya ;-)

(this is taken straight from his email)

so obviously there is some difference.

Shak

[running scared]

Whilst there are obviously differences in some of the words used such as the holiday/vacation colour/color situations, I am sure that different styles of writing must also be important.

Us Brits just don't get up and shout Yeah! everytime somebody mentions their home town.

[dingman]

With the exception of the occasional confusing word, I would think most USAmericans could be perfectly well able to understand Brittish English. I may occasionally get thrown for a second by our differing uses of 'rubber' and 'knock up' (Over here, you use a rubber to keep from knocking someone up. I gather over there they are used for correcting writing errors.) or have to think for a moment to remember what a 'lorry' is, but it's nothing insurmountable.

[Jon_King]

Dingman your rubber talk is a hoot!

[diggle]

Over here in the UK, they sell pencils with rubbers on the end. It's not fair because Catholics aren't allowed to buy them ;)

[dingman]

Nope. I'm pretty sure that Catholics are expected to get it right the first time. One mistake and they almost wouldn't let my sister-in-law get married in a Catholic church!

And if we're going to keep this up we should probably move to Foo.

[4eyes]

I think there are differences in the type of sales pitch that is found acceptable.

I guess:
UK customers are less likely to go for the 'hard sell'.
US customers will probably find UK sales pitch a little too understated (..boring?)

Anyone got any hard stats on this - ie split run testing coupled with geo analysis?

[gypsychild]

A very interesting subject and I think there definitely is a big difference between the ideal style of writing copy for US and UK markets. With just one site aimed at both, I try to stay more or less in the middle.

>Over here, you use a rubber to keep from knocking someone up. I gather over there they are used for correcting writing errors.

In the UK and for a long time, this word can now mean either. :)