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Writing it Right - Buzz Words
When we see, read, or hear something, we remember certain things. We remember the meaningful, the cleaver, and even the stupid and ridiculous. Why do advertisers use the outrageous to get their point across? It's because the average person will remember what was said or demonstrated.
In business, we want our prospective customers to remember us and not the other guy. It is hoped that the customer's recollection is a good one. How important are buzz words? They are very important; however, they should be original and not based on cliches. Additionally, the self-descriptive, self-explanatory phrase should depict what our business is all about. Our companies should be remembered for what they do through carefully composed original buzz words. Ortho's WEED BE GON, Gold Bond's POWDER WITH THE POWER, and Oil of Olay's AGE DEFYING BODY WASH are excellent examples of what I mean.
Sometimes a few buzz words can describe just an idea. When you hear the words "feed the pig", do you visualize a piggy bank and money? Well, that's exactly what the advertiser wants to convey. Another great idea is "Rent a Wreck". These buzz words convey the idea of renting a used care. How about "The Geek Squad"? Do you immediately have visions of somebody fixing your computer system?
Buzz words are very important in the business world because they force us to remember products and ideas without much effort. It would behoove the new business person to create a visual idea in the minds of his/her customers by creating a very descriptive buzz word or phrase so that the general public never forgets what the business is all about.
The above is an excerpt from a column published in the HUDSON VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL on May 26, 2008.
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