OCTOBER 2011

Why words get in the way of good workAnd how to say what you mean in the workplace

Marketing Douchebaggery

Karina Portuondo, Strategist/Copywriter@karinaelise8

OCTOBER 2011

First off - why am I here?Hi.

Karina PortuondoStrategist/Copywriter@karinaelise8

It’s everywhere. Why?Bad Advertising.

A humorous exploration of the words that get in the wayPart 1: The Problem.

Big Idea

IMC

360

SoLoMo

Mobile

PlatformProgram

Campaign

IAT

Omnichannel

learnings.orgGo here for a crowdsourced of marketing buzzwords. The site will actually generate an actual bingo board that you print out and play with your team during a call!

Tribal KnowledgeGurushipParadigm ShiftThe “Admosphere”

corporateasfuck.comMad libs for mission statements. If you’re writing or saying anything that sounds like this - try to stop.

@industryjargonThese are all real overheard phrases. Making fun of ourselves is the first step to change.

doucheyaccountguy.tumblr.comAlso real overheard phrases from the ad community. At least we admit we have a problem.

Design Taxi’sToungue-in-cheek brand glossary.

iamtheclient.blogspot.comA post about planners -- some of the worst offenders when it comes to overworked words.

http://bit.ly/GsTkA great roast of marketing speak.

How to say what you mean in the workplacePart 2: The Solution.

1. Pretend like you’re talking to your mom.2. Ask the tough questions.3. When all else fails, get on the same page.

Don’t make assumptions.Your mom doesn’t know what CPG stands for. She doesn’t know about transmedia storytelling or propagation planning. And it’s not because she’s not a smart lady. She’s just not entrenched in industry BS.

Call it like it is.

People are people.Not consumers.Not users.Not “momfluentials.”

Just people.

Social Sally.“I love sharing new experiences with my friends! I am the one they go to for new

trends and advice.”

Jake.I like to wear fresh kicks and take the guys to SCHOOL on the court so they

know what’s up.

1. Pretend like you’re talking to your mom.2. Ask the tough questions.3. When all else fails, get on the same page.

What is a big idea, really?

Big because in the amount of media spend that goes behind it?Big because of the number of people that’ll see it?Big because of how new or different it is?Big because it has the subjective potential to “go viral”?Big because it can fit other “tactics” inside of the same copy line?Big because of how much press it’ll get?

1. Pretend like you’re talking to your mom.2. Ask the tough questions.3. When all else fails, get on the same page.

12 new products being launched. 6 months of planning.3 different producer hand-offs. 7 team members. 8 clients in the US.15+ more abroad.30+ agency partners.100s of documents.

1 project. 1 brand.

Sometimes the words don’t matter.

As long as everyone’s speaking the same

language.

Likely, it won’t be possible to completely avoid this stuff. A good place to start is to acknowledge when words are getting in the way and do a little something about it.

• Make a glossary for the front of a big presentation.

• Spend the first 5 minutes of a meeting agreeing to semantics.

• Got any other ideas?

Ideal vs. Real

If you only remember one thing:

Marketers talk a lot about humanizing brands.Let’s start by talking to each other like humans.

Thanks!

TechnologyUser ExperienceDesignStrategy

PS: We’re hiring.

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