Ryan Wallman

Creative Director and Head of Copy @wellmark_health. Non-practising doctor. Author of Delusions of Brandeur. Contributor to Eat Your Greens.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

IT’S HERE, JUST (not) IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

You can now order my book, beautifully designed by the team at @Gasp_4.

UK: https://t.co/pZs1BeNo7d

US: https://t.co/PoKdrwW2w9

Aus: https://t.co/quNR3a6CMN

And searchable on other Amazon international sites (I think).

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@bruceclarkprof Thanks Bruce! I’m a bit of a lurker these days. ;)

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

“So many 90s bands were better than Nirvana.”

Proceeds to list Clowngang 450, Wiggle Waggle and the Godheads, Neutralised, Mr Soko Seeks Solace, Armfarmer.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@liseymacd @rshotton @Giles_Edwards Aw thanks, Lisl. To be fair, the industry makes it pretty easy at times. ;)

[richard shotton @rshotton]

Marketers love a long word. This tendency is gently mocked in the marketing glossary from the brilliant How Brands Blow by Ryan Wallman (@Dr_Draper) and @Giles_Edwards.

It's a witty take-down but behind it there's a serious point. Marketers often believe that the way to impress others is through unnecessarily verbose language. But it tends to backfire.

There's a wonderful 2006 study by Daniel Oppenheimer from Princeton that proves the point.

He gave people one of two versions of a dissertation abstract.

Version 1 was full of technical jargon and complex wording.

In Version 2, the complex terminology was swapped for simpler alternatives.

Participants who read the simplified version rated the author as 13% more intelligent than those who read the more complex one (4.8 vs 4.26).

Oppenheimer titled his paper, in a rare flash of academic humour, "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly".

So next time you feel the urge to write something superfluous like "customer-centric marketing" or use other complex wording in your comms - remember that verbosity backfires (or, that the utilisation of elevated linguistic complexity diminishes communicative effectiveness).

***

If you're interested in learning about more behavioural science insights, sign up to my newsletter, AstroHacks. Each fortnight I look at one bias and explain how you can apply it to business or marketing challenges.

You can sign up here: https://t.co/OptynakfB9

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@Ultimatechess_ @IAMBecF This is a very confusing analogy.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@ChrisShockley76 @all90saltrock This is the correct answer.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@chris_skudder @Footyeyes Why do aesthetics count more?

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@Xyz_lm10_sc30 @wstgoat7 He’s extraordinary but Bradman is the greatest.

[Maarten Boudry @mboudry]

Most “fallacies” don’t exist outside textbooks. Ad hominem, post hoc, argument from authority? In real life they’re often perfectly reasonable. Why I became a fallacy apostate, and why it's time to retire the fallacy laundry list. 🧵

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@RussellNeilson1 @Rob_Ruadh2 Well I guess that’s a diplomatic way of putting it.

[BrandGully @BrandGully]

"Flat White or F*ck Off", quipped @rorysutherland in his own inimitable style re coffee shops at certain places, on a podcast w/ @JamieLaing_UK some months ago.

Turns out Charlie Hurst, Lucia Sudlow and Tom Noble- listeners of the pod, creative junkies, basically just a brilliant bunch of doers really- decided to .. well .. do something about it irl, at Tottenham Court Road in London this past week. With Rory’s blessing ofc.

Lovely sequence of events this. And so very generous of Rory to let them run with this idea.

[video clip via the Great Company with Jamie Laing podcast]

_____________________________________

How it started (on a pod) / How it’s going (out in the wild)

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

My marketing predictions for 2026.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@RichardWylie07 @Aryan42832Goel These people don’t even know recent history. What are the chances they know about Bodyline?

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@wordmancopy “An alcoholic is someone who drinks more than his doctor.” ;)

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

Throwback to the time that @wordmancopy and I were discussing the nuances of copywriting somewhere between Bristol and London.

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@sammy_goz @outbreezyWC Descent?

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@Ugo_alves 😂

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

Eel: “There’s no problem. STFU.”

[Fi Shailes ✍🏼 ✨ @WritefulCopy]

Take a look at this new interview with @wellmark_health's Ryan Wallman (@Dr_Draper), where you'll discover...

➡️ What motivated his book, How Brands Blow
➡️ What he thinks of the use of AI in content

+ much more ⤵️

https://t.co/aitB7AQzDB

#copywritinglegend

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

@chrisyoh @creativefloor Thanks!

[Ryan Wallman @Dr_Draper]

We’re truly humbled to announce…

Nah, not really – we’re chuffed! Our global campaign for Amgen has made it through to the finals of the 2025 @creativefloor awards.

Anyone who has worked in pharma will know that highly regulated creative work like this is not an easy task.