Meaningless words are leading our industry to an identity crisis
Advertising agencies became creative agencies. Media planners became connections strategists. PR agencies went from media relations to earning attention. Words have lost their meaning, argues Magnum & Co’s Carl Moggridge, leading to what is potentially an industry-wide identity crisis.
A lot of smart people have proven that language affects behaviour. Unfortunately, a lot of people take advantage of that fact, and our industry is now at a point where words have lost their meaning.
Take Frank Luntz, who advised the US government, as well as big gas and coal companies, to stop talking about ‘global warming’ and start talking about ‘climate change’. It’s the same, but creates fundamentally different behaviour.
‘Global warming’ is clearly something to be worried about. Something human made, that requires immediate action. ‘Climate change’, on the other hand, sounds slow. Something that has always been going on, that you don’t have to worry about it, that can wait.
Got it right in one. Precision in language is part of its beauty.
I often struggle to tell my friends and family what I do for a living, perhaps your sentiments explain why…
In 1906 when language was still considered an art, Winston Churchill used “Terminological Inexactitude” to replace the words ‘lie’ and the softer ‘untruth’.
I once knew a printer who introduced himself as “Jack the photolithographer,” which gets it all away from the stink of printers ink and the clatter of the old Heidelberger. The man whose lot it was to sweep up the dust and vegetable leaves at the city markets, was jokingly referred to as the “Broomologist of the Vegetorium.”
This messing around with language problem has been with us for many years, it seems that the current crisis has given us a few associated blessings, one of which is the time for reflection and perhaps some fixing or ARP (applied remedial procedure)
At some stage, things stopped “starting” and began “commencing,” people stopped dying and began to “pass away,” or if the reality of the ultimate separation was still too strong to mention, they merely “passed.” I love the term “Advertising Agency,” it stands truer and stronger than “Creative Agency” which makes them sound as though their stock in trade is, yes, terminological inexactitude.
Jargon job titles aren’t confined to adland.
In business and government most job titles (and tasks) are a blend of abstract words—meaningless and misleading. Too many people string nouns together to make job titles sound important.
Take these howlers: ‘Holistic Marketing Manager’, ‘Quantitative Researcher to Crack the Code’, ‘Triggers and Events Consultant’, ‘Engagement Facilitator’, ‘Agile Digital Product Manager’.
When did business (and government) language die? When business and government started using management jargon. ‘Competitive advantage’, ‘transparency’, ‘accountability’, ‘client’, ‘key’, ‘going forward’ blah blah blah. Meaningless sludge.
Clear concise language starts at the top. Good CEOs talk straight. No gobbledygook. No jargon. No abstract words like ‘engage’ or ‘commitment’.
Nice article. This morning I heard the newly-appointed administrator for Virgin Australia talk about ‘creating optionalities’. It doesn’t bode well, does it?
Thanks Nathan and indeed it doesn’t!
“chief customer experience officers”. There’s a problem, right there.
Spot on, Carl.
The inclusion of “strategic” in every job title now is testament to this problem. Any person in an agency worth their salt should be strategic in what they do–although, I suspect we’re about to see a post-COVID baby boom of “agile strategic tacticians”, “responsive strategic account managers”, “adaptable and dynamic creative strategist” and “reactive strategy public relationists”.
A job title is irrelevant unless it has meaning in law. The only thing that really matters, and can’t be taking away from you, is track record.