🤐 What to say when sorry seems to be the hardest word


The newsletter which rips words from scripts and songs to help you craft standout copy.


Copy Cues Club #9

Hey Reader, 🤐

Welcome to July! It is HOT in Scotland and I'm here for it. Today, our Copy Cues was suggested by Jamie Stewart and comes from Holocene by Bon Iver:

And at once, I knew I was not magnificent
Hulled far from the highway aisle
Jagged vacance, thick with ice
But I could see for miles, miles, miles

Why does it work?

Bon Iver takes responsibility for his actions and we 👏 love 👏 accountability. 👏 In world where blame shifting, optics, and non-apology notes apologies are the norm, owning up when you get something wrong is power. It builds connection. It reminds people you're human. It doesn't shy away from the reality.

Make it work for you

To make the most of honest and authentic apologies:

✨ Keep your brand voice when you apologise

Remember that time KFC, famously a chicken restaurant, ran out of chicken?

Yeah you probably need to apologise for that. KFC didn't issue a bland, corporate statement though. Instead they took out a full-page in the Metro and the Sun, rearranged the letters in their logo, and kept their usual cheeky tone.

✨ Actually say you got it wrong

Ever had that moment when someone's said sorry but it's obvious they've been told to and don't actually mean it? If you've got siblings, you know the score. PwC keept it simple but took full responsibility for the La La Land / Moonlight Best Picture fiasco.

✨ Back up your words with actions

Sometimes words can feel empty without action. Apple issued an apology in 2007 when they slashed the price of the new iPhone by $200 two weeks after it was released. Understandably, the people who had already bought that model were a *little* annoyed. To make it right, Apple offered to refund the difference for customers who had already purchased that model.

Got "rewrite my website" on your 2025 business to-do list and still not started? Book a call with me to see if I can help you get it done.

🎵 On my playlist:

🖊️ Working on...

Heavily distracted by wedding planning... And enjoying having less deadlines. I am still working, Mum, promise!

📚 The Appeal* by Janice Hallett

I'm a sucker for a mixed media mystery and Janice Hallett is one of the best there is. You're reading the transcripts of messages, emails and articles. Can you work out what crime occurred and who's responsible for it?

📺 The Bear

I've just finished season 1 (behind the times I know) and while I felt stressed a lot of the time, I loved the character growth, punchy episodes and ofc the food inspo.

🎲 Wingspan*

Affectionately known as the bird game in our house, Wingspan is a board game where you play as a bird enthusiasts seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. It looks beautiful, you can use different strategies and it has expansions featuring birds from different contents. 10/10 recommend if you love a stratgey game that looks pretty.

*If you buy from this link I get a wee commission without it costing you any extra.

Off to finish the strawberries and cream and mourn the fact Wimbledon is over for another year,

✨ Bex ✨

💌P.S. I'd love you to send me your favourite song or movie so I can use some copy from it in a future newsletter and give you a shout out. Just hit reply and let me know. I promise I'll read and reply to every email.

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Copy Cues Club

The newsletter which rips words from scripts and songs to help you craft standout copy.

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