shay

I wrote a post on our VigetEngage (marketing) blog today after being inspired from a Copyblogger post on the importance of enthusiasm in writing.  One thing I can honestly say about my life is that I’ve been rewarded for exuding enthusiasm — I’ve also been reprimanded for it being “overwhelming to older staffers,” so I guess there are two sides to every coin.

But one area that enthusiasm comes in handy, particularly, is in my writing.  My dad first noticed when I was in junior high school that I could crank out papers in no time flat, when he (an engineer) might struggle for hours to write standard presentations.  He’s enthusiastic about tangible sciences and structures, and I’m enthusiastic about intangible concepts and theories.  His writing felt forced, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

Later, in high school and college, he would ask me my opinion on his writing.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’d ask him, “What are you trying to say?  Just say it!”  Why get caught up in trying to SOUND a particular way when explaining your concepts enthusiastically and personally resonates so much more clearly?

Anyway, I recognize that this notion doesn’t come naturally to people (like my dad) even though it’s almost all I’ve known.  The few times I’ve had to conform to some restricted style — such as proposals or press releases, for example — I think to myself that I’d never SPEAK this way to someone in-person, so what’s happened on the path from spoken to written word that’s made me feel so uptight?

To me, enthusiasm equates to personality.  Without it, the writing falls flat and feels slow to read.  I’m wondering when life will transition to allow even the most traditionally stodgy writing to evolve into more personal communication styles (like that of blogs, except with editors).

Now that my awesome and totally reliable Saturn VUE is paid off, I’m feeling like an adult. I think once I spend five years of my life balancing rent with car payments, and the latter drops off, I recognize that I’ve passed a milestone. I try to ignore the sadness of realizing I’ve managed to demonstrate such responsibility that I can’t act like a kid anymore; ok, I knew it before I paid off the car, but this is reinforcement.

Anyway, I’ve lately found my eye wandering to shiny new cars. Particularly the European sporty numbers renowned for their handling and power. I imagine myself cruising in the mountains as the sun sets, wind whipping through my afro and me feeling unusually free from my adultness.

That all being said, I managed to find myself on miniusa.com, where I happened upon some crucial web writing that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Here, we have a BMW manufacturer bringing its unique brand to what I can only imagine, based on the tone and content and functionality of the site, comprises an adventurous, dare-I-say “hip” clientele.

For instance, check out the humor of “Parking a Mini,” or the thoughtful pop-ups (right) that interrupt your car-building experience with sentences like, “Only applies to those with rock star status.”

PS, I’m a rock star, therefore I accepted the terms and continued building.

But it’s not just all about content, either — they convey humor in the features themselves, such as when you try to “deny” the aforementioned terms and conditions … and the button continues migrating around the page without allowing you to capture it.

I always applaud companies who fully cater to their users, demonstrating their commitment to creating an enjoyable experience even when tradition might otherwise suggest they’d be opposed. (I’d consider BMW to be a traditional company who might be hesitant to let loose, even though its MINI brand seems to be aimed at a different audience that begs for this kind of a car-buying/building experience).

It’s a rather ingenious example of infusing wit that is a combination of playful and professional, and the balance it strikes has *at least* resonated with me — and the 20+ people I’ve told about the site — when I’m otherwise just a window shopper.

But for just window shopping, I mean, I REALLY love this one, but probably without the checkered flag detailing, come to think of it: