What you do in seven words
The Trustees of Reservations saved Crane Beach for me.
We spotted this message a half-mile ahead of the entrance to one of New England’s finest and least disturbed large coastal preserves in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I don’t think I could say more with fewer words. (I would have made the name much bigger, but modesty suits the Trustees’ reserved Yankee demeanor.)
My first thought: the perfect mission statement! Of course, the actual Mission for the Trustees of Reservations has to spell things out. Here it is: “The Trustees of Reservations preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts.”
A true Mission needs that clarity, but I’ll take the tag line on this sign for brevity, completeness and memorability.
The Crane Beach and Crane Estate property is one of more than 100 places the Trustees have preserved and maintained for public use in Massachusetts. It happens to have special significance for me. I went to high school down the road in Hamilton and I spent a lot of sunny days on the dunes there with friends. My sister and my best friend’s sister both held wedding receptions at the Crane Estate overlooking the beach.
But I haven’t been there for decades and I haven’t given the place much thought in the meantime. Fortunately, the Trustees of Reservations have been on the job. So, when we needed a beautiful biking destination on a sunny summer Sunday, Crane Beach was waiting for us… and tens of thousand of others. Well done, Trustees!
Follow
I love to work with organizations to keep their messages clear and short. I’m a fan of the “Six Word Stories” that I learned about on NPR a few years ago. Here’s more on six word stories: http://lorijacobwith.com/2010/04/you-can-say-a-lot-with-only-six-words/
Clicked link. Hour disappears. Thanks, Lori!
Great lesson for the verbose to ponder.
Sandy Rees
Great real world example, Jon. I see a connection with this 7 word strategy and Twitter. That is a well-written 48 characters that delivers a sound message.
Okay, I just had to share it.
Our favorite diner has this:
“Don’t be a dope. Eat at the hope.”
Chuckling. Not as elegant.
Love the simplicity of the 7 words! It focuses an organization in the way that lengthy mission and vision statements do not.
For those who want to delve deeper, supporting content on the web such as the “About Us” page and Success Stories can all be developed in support of the 7 words.
http://sevenstorylearning.com/communication/about-the-most-important-page-on-your-website/
Thank you Andrew. And great insight into the about page.
Stunning.
I am reminded of Steve Jobs’ introduction of the iPod:
“A thousand songs in your pocket.”
Another great example. Thank you Ian.