Adspeak -- and how to avoid it.

I saw Roy H. Williams AKA the Wizard of Ads not long ago at the Taking Flight HR conference here in Moncton. I'm not the first to say the man is a genius - but he is. His Monday Morning Memo is always full of wisdom, insight and thought-provoking ideas. This morning's edition is no exception.

I strongly suggest you subscribe to it - here's the link.

This morning he talked about "The New Language of Effective Ads"

Basically he talks about the old way (ad speak) vs. the new way (Intimacy) of communicating as a business.

Adspeak is

“Here's an example of how wonderful I am...”
“Let me tell you what I can do...”
“...and that's what makes me special.”

“At [name of company,] we…”
“Voted the number one…”
“Why settle for second best?”

Sound familiar? As a writer I know I have been guilty of this in the past for sure. It's an easy trap.

Williams suggests: "The new language of marketing is the language of Intimacy. Connectedness. Shared values. The sound of one friend talking to another. Intimate ads are believable because they confirm what the customer already knows. The fact that the advertiser knows it as well – and is willing to admit it – is what surprises and impresses the customer."

He goes on to explain How to Avoid “AdSpeak” in Your Ads.

1. Limit self-reference. Reduce the number of times you refer to your company or your product in your ads.

2. Don’t say it. Lead the customer to say it. Instead of saying, “We’re honest,” say something that only an honest person would say. Let the customer respond, “Wow. That’s honest.”

3. Admit the downside. It makes the upside easier to believe. Imagine the impact of a jeweler saying, “A diamond is just a symbol. The important thing is not to forget what it symbolizes.”

Great advice for all of us.

Click here to read his blog entry