Sprachwerkstatt

What does brand language have to do with me?
‘Why am I here?’ This question is a common thread running through all seven language workshops for the Berliner Philharmoniker. Most of the time, they represent people who work in the ticket office, the music library, the building services department and the artistic works office – all places where language is elementary because it is used in direct dialogue with customers. The question of why is essential in order to become aware of the responsibility that an individual email or telephone conversation carries in terms of brand impact. Only those who provide it understand that language is a powerful tool for everyone, whether as an editor for the magazine of the Berliner Philharmoniker, as an author for the programme booklets or as a volunteer for social media. Every medium, analogue or digital, has an external appeal and must be built on the same tone of voice. This requires people who know how to translate a brand’s tone of voice into reading material, captions, press releases or a subscription confirmation by email. In the language workshops, all participants of the Berlin philharmonic come together to work together on their own as well as other texts, to exchange ideas on topics such as Anglicisms and gender, and to learn from one another.

Working with language requires freedom
The light-flooded foyer of the Berlin philharmonic is the perfect place for these workshops. Four table islands are generously distributed over the elongated surface, which leaves plenty of room for interaction, writing and thinking. Floor-to-ceiling glass panes allow an unobstructed view and facilitate the free flow of thoughts. A language workshop means looking at texts from a different perspective. Sometimes it also means consciously pushing boundaries, being creative, giving one’s thoughts free rein, and experiencing plenty of ‘aha’ moments – firstly through one’s own writing experience and secondly by learning valuable methods. Writing calls for a plan and decision-making power. Do I want to share information or experiences? What feelings do I want to evoke in the minds of the readers? How can I communicate messages more clearly through structure and different reading levels? How do I live up to the tone of voice without losing my personal style? All these questions address short teaser texts, 7,800 characters and customer emails. Anyone who knows and applies the answers to these questions will turn the Berlin philharmonic’s communication into a brand experience.

Writing is a process, and the language workshop is a first step
We use it to raise awareness of language and change the way we view our own texts. We encourage you to be creative, talk more about language and, above all, have fun. And because language is evolving, and not all questions can be answered in one morning, we appoint language ambassadors who pass on the key elements of the workshop and contact us if necessary – for a glimpse of the workshop or for follow-up workshops on-site or online.