Some words and phrases are used so much by companies to describe their services or products that they lose their effect. If you want your brand strength to show through, avoid these 7 overused words to describe your company: 

1.) Leader--It doesn't matter if you're a "proven leader," a "recognized leader" or a "dedicated leader." Almost everyone considers themselves to be a leader in their industry in some way. You may think you'll stand out from the crowd by using this word; however, you're much better off showing how you lead rather than simply saying you lead.

2.) Recognized--Who recognizes your company, and for what? Do your customers appreciate your timeliness and attention to detail? That's a much more impressive statement than simply saying you're recognized in your field.

3.) Multi-purpose--Throw in multi-tasking, multi-talented and multi-faceted while we're at it. If you aren't able to list the many purposes, talents, tasks or facets of your business, leave this word out.

4.) Meet or exceed expectations--If you didn't meet or exceed your clients' expectations, would you even be in business? Assume that prospective clients already know your company gets the job done right.

5.) Award-winning--This one is actually okay, if you clearly state the award you or your company has received. If you just say award-winning, the reader isn't clear why that's significant. It could mean a plaque from a prestigious national organization; then again, it could mean your company's bowling trophy.

6.) Proven track record--Customer testimonials and case studies illustrate your company's reputation far better than the overused phrase "proven track record."

7.) Creative--Now, sometimes you can't get around this word, especially if you have a creative business. However, it is used so much in branding materials--sometimes even with businesses that aren't necessarily creative in nature--that a flip through the thesaurus might be helpful to come up with a different word.
 


Comments

Eric Weaver

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:54:08

May I add a few?

"solution" - most overused word in marketing

"turnkey" - how many "solutions" are truly "turnkey"? answer: very few

"breakthrough" - what exactly did they break through? certainly not the Unimaginative Copy wall. ;)

"revolutionary"

¡Viva la differenciacion!

 

Stephan

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:52

The one that irritates me: cutting edge, especially when used to describe 5yr old technology.

 

Pratap Singh

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:01:05

A few more overused words:

1)young at heart
2)insights
3)proposition
4)value for money

 

Diane DiPiero

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:50:01

These are all great! It's amazing how many overused words there are when you really think about it.

 

Mark Gallagher

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:09:36

You make a great point regarding buzzwords. Consumers don't believe them when they hear them because they're simply empty, undifferentiated promises.

Perhaps the most meaningless word is "BRAND" itself. CEOs, marketing and sales people all use "our brand" as though it is synonymous with the actual name, product or service. The reality is that when most consumers hear "our brand" it conjures up the fact that this may all just be a marketing facade.


Cheers,

Mark Gallagher
Brand Expressionist®
BLACKCOFFEE

 



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