Write like you talk
Keep it casual. Like you’re talking to a friend.
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Grip so good, it’s groundbreaking.
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High-performance rubber compound that offers unparalleled grip properties on wet and dry surfaces.
Write Right
Wherein we learn all about the nitty gritty of writing for the Merrell Brand. Sharpen your pencils.
Keep it simple
We always prefer a short sentence over a long, stuffy one. Same goes for words.
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Experience out-of-the-box comfort.
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A supportive footbed, breathable mesh lining, and a lightweight midsole for comfort right out of the box.
Write in an active voice
In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active.
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My friends and I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.
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The Pacific Crest Trail was hiked by me and my friends.
Avoid adverbs
These are words that modify other words like, “very,” “super,” and “basically.” And often, they add to the word count without adding any value. So, replace the adverb with a stronger verb.
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Henry raced to the top of the mountain.
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Henry quickly elevated to the top of the mountain.
Be specific
Give us the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Specificity paints a picture.
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Despite the fierce competition, Rachel Tomajczyk placed 2nd on the podium at the USATF National Championship.
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Despite the fierce competition, she podiumed at the event.
Reframe negative statements to be positive
We prefer “glass half full” statements vs. “half empty” as it’s more upbeat and straightforward.
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Free shipping.
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No shipping fee.
Fight the urge to exaggerate
It’s simple. If our shoes can't fly, don't tell our consumers they can.
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Shoes so light, you can run longer on the trail.
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Shoes so light, you can walk on water.
Embrace the Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma may be the most hotly contested of all grammar debates, but we are a pro-Oxford comma brand. If you disagree, we may ask you to step outside. But then again, we ask everyone to step outside. It's what we do.
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Our shoes are designed with more comfort, more stability, and more eco.
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Our shoes are designed with more comfort, more stability and more eco.
Limit exclamation points
One per article, email, or social post is plenty! Better yet, leave it out altogether.
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The #1 hiking boot is back in stock. Get 15% off a pair today.
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The #1 hiking boot is back in stock!! Get 15% off a pair today!!!
Sentence case in all cases
All caps scream. No caps whisper. Instead, we stick with sentence case for campaign lines, headlines, and email headers.
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Unwrap the outside. Make your miles wild. It’s boot season.
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UNWRAP THE OUTSIDE. make your miles wild. It’s Boot Season.
Lowercase the URL
Our URL, “merrell.com” should feature a lowercase “m” unless it's at the beginning of a sentence.
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merrell.com
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Merrell.com
Words and phrases to avoid
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Hurtful, toxic, or insensitive words.
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Gendered terms such as "what's up, guys?” or "manpower.”