The Best Newsletter Headline I Ever Wrote
And why you should watch the film BlackBerry
🎬 A Brilliant Film About a Forgotten Tech Giant
I just watched BlackBerry on Netflix — a superb dramatized account of how co-founders Douglas Fregin and Mike Lazaridis created a mobile phone that once controlled half of North America’s market.
Then the iPhone came along, and everything changed.
📝 Back in My Tech Copywriting Days
The film reminded me of one of the proudest moments in my copywriting career.
Years ago, I was writing a tech newsletter for a client.
Every week, I had to come up with endless headlines for different news items — long before AI tools like ChatGPT could help.
Headline writing was a challenge. But one day, inspiration struck.
🍏🍇 My Best Ever Headline: Nokia in BlackBerry and Apple Crumble
At the time, Nokia’s share price was plummeting as Apple and BlackBerry fought for dominance.
I came up with Nokia in BlackBerry and Apple Crumble
The CEO of the company I was writing for loved it. I still think it’s an absolute cracker.
💡 Why Headlines Matter More Than Ever
Your headline is the first thing readers see.
It’s what makes them click — or scroll away.
Even now, with AI, I still believe you should:
Write two or three possible titles for every piece
Read them out loud to see which flows best
Ask AI to help brainstorm options
Test which resonates most with your audience
The right headline can make all the difference.
🚀 The Takeaway
Crafting great headlines is still an art.
That one headline — Nokia in BlackBerry and Apple Crumble — set the bar for me.
And if you haven’t yet, watch BlackBerry. It’s a brilliant reminder of how quickly the tech world changes.
📬 Want More Writing Stories Like This?
👉 Subscribe to Weekday Writer — Build your writing habit and create content that grows your audience, one weekday at a time.
👻 Writing Wraith Ghostwriting
Need content that sounds like you and grows your business (without writing it yourself)? Get in touch — I only take a couple of new clients each month.