Word Abuse 11/05/2009
 
I just heard a radio spot for a law firm “specializing” in “over 50 areas of law.” Hmm. Sounds more like “generalizing” to me.
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A new report is out. It's from an ad agency specializing in taglines. (Which is kind of like a meteorologist specializing in rain dances.) They just finished searching some 150 corporate taglines, created in 2009, for most-oft used words.

Why? The agency's president said, "A whole bushel of taglines reveals a brand lexicon that speaks volumes about what’s important in the minds of consumers."

Whoa, wait.

Following that logic, we could also conclude that "the dog ate my homework" is the excuse that convinces the most teachers, and that most of us believe the guy who says, "I subscribe for the articles." The question isn't how often a tactic is used. The question is whether it works.

Analyzing words in taglines (aka slogans) reveals what companies want to say. Not necessarily what consumers want to hear. 

Here's a more telling study you might want to try. Make a list of companies that measure individual ad results in terms of cost-per-sale. Call it Group A. Next, make a list of companies that rely on inferential measures, such as how many people recall an ad, or how many awards an ad wins. Call that one Group B. Now count the number of companies in each Group that uses taglines. 

I did this myself a few years ago. In my study, ads for every company in Group B sported at least one tagline. A few used two and one used three. Group A? Not one tagline. Which group do you suppose knows more about the alleged power of taglines?

The study is admittedly inferential, but it's a good start. Not all inferences are created equal. An inference from a consensus of expertise carries more weight than one from non-expert speculation. If any readers have tested slogan-versus-no-slogan in the real world, please click Comment and share.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for a great slogan, how about this one: Don't Waste Your Time. Use your energy to improve the parts of your ad that really count.

Steve Cuno
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I just received a direct mail flyer from a local dentist. It is laden with photos of smiling people with lovely teeth. 

Every person in every photo is white. 

Note to dentists: Even in Sandy, Utah, not everyone is caucasian. Not even if you weed out the toothless.

I suppose one could argue that the dentist's objective is not to promote racial equality, but to acquire new patients. Moreover, 89% of Utah is white, so one could argue that the dentist is appealing to the greater market.

From a pure marketing view, I can't argue against those points. But I can as a marketer who also happens to be a human being. Advertising has a powerful opportunity to depict the human family as more than one ethnicity, without (except in rare cases) compromising other objectives. Given the human tendency to separate into "us" and "them," it's an opportunity we shouldn't waste.

I doubt that the dentist intended any slight. This is the kind of oversight that's easy to make. Which is exactly why we all need an occasional reminder. I hope this one serves.

Steve Cuno
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Sometimes as people put words on paper, an inner alarm shrieks, "Yikes! You're writing! Pull out the big words so you'll sound smart!"

Cancel the inner alarm. Big words don't make you sound smart. They make your stuff hard to read.
 
Don't say masticate. Say chew. 

Don't say expectorate. Say spit.

Don't say pandiculate. Say yawn.

This is not about targeting an eighth-grade reading level, a myth born of arrogance. It's about capitalizing on our tendency to follow the course of least resistance. Even the stuffiest PhD is more likely to opt for an easy read over an impenetrable one.

A good copywriter disappears behind writing that brings to life the product or service for sale. Sounding credible can enhance that effect. But devices that draw attention to the writer ("Gee, this writer sure knows big words") steal the product's spotlight.

Steve Cuno
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