6 Questions for: Taylor Wells

Meet Taylor Wells. He just joined our team—taking on the role of copywriter, resident history buff and fellow “Game of Thrones” watcher. Taylor is a Mizzou alum who hails from our great state of Illinois. His outgoing personality, wit and swan-like characteristics have been a welcomed addition to our Sweet Design family.

I interviewed Taylor as part of our 6 Questions feature: a series of one-on-one interviews with people we work with who’ve made us proud. Sometimes, I like to turn the tables and put our own staffers on the hot seat so you not only get to meet them, but also see just how special our team really is.

Read on to learn about Taylor’s past work experiences, thoughts on “good” branding and the best writing advice he’s ever gotten. 

 1. Where have you been in your marketing career so far, and what led you to BatesMeron?

Although I’m still new to the industry, I’ve had some great experiences so far. I started as an intern in the marketing department of an office furniture company in St. Louis while I was still in college, where I helped brand furniture packages to appeal to a wide range of clients. After I graduated, I started my first full-time marketing job in Chicago at a technology start-up. While there, I was responsible for everything from managing social media pages, writing blog posts, creating case studies and writing other marketing collateral. Even though I enjoyed working in marketing departments, I knew that I wanted to work in a more creatively centered agency environment. So when I found BatesMeron and saw how amazingly creative they were, I knew I had to apply.

2. As our newest copywriter you get to work up close and personal with brands that span a full spectrum of industries. What do you think makes a good brand and what’s an example of a brand you love?

I think that regardless of what a company is selling or promoting, a good brand should always be memorable, instantly recognizable and make an impact on people. For those reasons, one of my favorite brands has always been Old Spice. Not only have they managed to build a quirky identity that’s instantly recognizable, they’ve used it brilliantly to create brand awareness and loyalty. For instance, we all know their clever and catchy advertisements that feature a towel-clad man telling us the benefits of using Old Spice. Because of this thoughtful branding and advertising, Old Spice—a 75-year-old product—is still talked about regularly on social media and within the industry today.

Another quality that makes Old Spice stand out is the fact that they have consistently refused to conform to the stereotypical message of “use our products and ladies will love you” that is so prevalent amongst other male hygiene brands. Having this fresh perspective within an industry of clichés makes me respect them all the more.

3. What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever gotten?

I had a creative writing teacher in college that used to tell us “a crappy first draft is always better than an empty page.” That always stuck with me because I used to have a huge problem where I’d wait until I came up with the perfect way to say something and end up staring at a blank screen for hours. Getting something (even if it’s not good) on paper gets your creativity flowing and eventually leads to your final drafts much faster.

4. What is the thing you’re most looking forward to in your role as a copywriter here?

I’m most excited to be apart of the creative process with such a fun and innovative group of people. I love being with a concept from the beginning and watching it get reworked, stripped down and combined with other ideas until it turns into that one great concept that everyone is excited about. It’s my favorite part of being a copywriter—and infinitely better when you get to take that trip with talented people like these!

5. If your life could be summed up in a tagline (existent or non-existent), what would it be?

“Netflix Subscription: $8.99. Chipotle Burrito: $6.65. Binge-watching Sherlock in a food-coma of Mexican food: Priceless.”

6. Who and/or what creatively inspires you most, inside the industry or outside the industry?

I think I’m most inspired by music. When I listen to music, my brain feels like it’s working in a different way, and that is great for the creative process because I start thinking about ideas from perspectives that I hadn’t even considered before. I remember working on a candy brand in college that I was convinced only worked if it had a younger, kids-only kind of feel to it; all it took was one grungy song on my iPod for me to come to the realization that it could be really fun to make it edgier and more in-your-face. I honestly couldn’t even count how many times I’ve been listening to a song that’s given me inspiration for an ad, a short story, or pretty much anything else…so long as that music isn’t country. (Warning: If the music is country, I will start throwing things.)