Blog
03.07
Will buzzwords become the death knell of marketing?
It's a question that begs answering.
Consider all the news and blog reports on the "move the needle" verbiage those corner office major domos throw around like Charlie Sheen referencing the practice of Wicca or winning.
It limits transparency and gives the stigma of used car salesmen and that guy standing outside a city park wearing a trenchcoat... in the middle of the summer.
So, when I read this article by Ad Age about "Fast Feeders Serving Up Fresh Buzzwords," I knew the use of such jargon is habitual.
We can't help ourselves. We need a 12-step program that ends with the entire industry chucking the bucket of this buzzword bingo into a large body of water.
Wholesome. Fresh. Natural. Local. Premium. Those are the food-marketing buzzwords that have gained on phrases like low-fat, low-carb and low-calorie. For fast feeders, the benefits are two-fold -- the descriptors don't bring the regulatory scrutiny other health-related claims do and, even better, consumers are buying into the hype.
"Low-cal" or "low-fat" are no longer feng shui in the industry because they convey diet, and who wants to hear that?!
"Wholesome" and "fresh" are considered vague, although they used to be a boondoggle for people to figure out what is really going on.
The last graph in the story is the most telling:
It's unlikely the Federal Trade Commission will crack down on marketers using these buzzwords, unless it views the advertising as deceptive, or if the fast feeders make questionable claims about health benefits. The FTC in 2004 settled charges with KFC for deceptive advertising after the fast feeder ran ads touting the relative health and weight-loss benefits of its fried chicken. More recently, the FTC has gone after juice-maker Pom Wonderful for making false claims that its products will prevent or treat heart disease and prostate cancer, as well as Dannon's Activia yogurt brand for advertising that allegedly exaggerated its health benefits.
Buzzwords aren't deceptive; they're just unnecessary.
They don't tell the whole story, and in these days of marketers creating brands and flacks sharing stories, the whole story is the only thing that will make the story.
Yes, aforementioned vehicle representatives, your overuse of "pre-owned" was the inspiration behind this story. Consider this advice to be "used."
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