A rather enjoyable bloodsport among PRs and journalists is to whinge about the abuse of language, in particular the use of buzzwords. Jargon appears in all industries, but there’s something about PR that breeds an even worse vernacular, stretching words beyond their elastic limit. Let’s take a look at 10 of the worst offenders.
1) Leverage
One of many three-syllabled, barely meaningful terms, this has to be one of the most painful PR nonsense terms. I only fully understood this word in the last couple of years. I already want those years back. Waste of time. Using the word in a press release is a bad enough crime, but if you hear anyone use “leverage” out loud, that’s actually express permission to spit in their coffee when they’ve turned their back.
2) Groundbreaking
Don’t forget its boastful bedfellows: revolutionary, best of breed, cutting edge and bleeding edge.
First, I doubt the product is anywhere near groundbreaking. Second, prove it. You’re a grown up, you should know by now that press releases are meant to be informative, not a paean to a brand. The reader – usually a journalist – can decide whether they think the product is truly revolutionary. If a journalist rang to say they thought my client’s product was groundbreaking, I’d fall off my chair in surprise.
3) “Airbnb for…”
Particularly rife among new technology businesses is the constant comparison to hugely successful tech companies, presumably so that those poor little journalists can begin to understand what’s being offered. “Uber for cats”, “Tinder for clothes”, “Twitter for next-generation singletons” (don’t even get me started on next generation). What’s worse is that these comparisons are usually tenuous. You’re telling me that because you can order something on demand, it’s “just like Uber”? Jog on.
4) Synergy
More hot air here. You could create some rather beautiful, meaningless poetry by combining some of these words. Certain press releases would make a lot more sense if you read them as a poem instead.
5) Disruptive
Other offenders in this area include new, social, platform, innovative, seamless and user friendly.
Ah, innovation! So generous in its novelty, newer and newer and even newer things pour forth from PRs, who fall over themselves to share the overwhelming newness. “This brand new product is so innovative that it totally disrupts the way things were done before” (just as I’m sure a call from a PR about such a company is indeed disruptive).
6) Turnkey
Another term used to exclude those who aren’t in the know. Often used in conjunction with “solution” (another nails-down-the-chalkboard word), or worse still “delivering solutions”. This word probably appears regularly in the inboxes of an older breed of journalist, clinging defiantly to their position for the final few years until retirement, before young blood is ushered in, talking of wanting to write about startups. In case you were wondering, turnkey means off-the-shelf. No, I have no idea either.
7) Delighted
In the UK it’s actually illegal to omit the word delighted from press releases, as anyone who’s happy to have their name against a formulaic, trotted-out-quote is certainly delighted to be involved. To anyone who is new to PR, there’s a sort of equivalent to a masonic handshake where you get 10 points on your Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) profile for using any of these terms: unique (or “highly unique” for 20 points), empower, best practice, and passion. Bonus fluff word for 50 points: dynamic.
8) Low-hanging fruit
This one appears in meetings more than press releases, but that doesn’t make it any less offensive. In fact, just the imagery it conjures up is more horrendous than any of the other terms. If you insist on using this phrase, combine it with at least one other metaphor or cliche to ensure maximum confusion and eye-watering embarrassment in the boardroom: “I don’t want you beating around the bush, you need to make a grab now for that low-hanging fruit.”
9) World’s leading
Straight up bullshit. Often this gets strangely specific, as it’s easier to claim to be leading in a smaller niche, such as “the UK’s leading dogbrush for shorthaired breeds”. This column could tout itself as the “UK’s leading behind-the-scenes PR column” – because even if someone else stepped up to dispute this, how should they define leading? Are we talking page views? Social media shares? Percentage of ABC1 readers? We could probably claim one of those. Why not. It’s the internet, nobody’s checking.
10) Buzzword
Without trying to go too Inception on you, the word buzzword is also… kind of a buzzword. There are plenty of articles, infographics and lists of overused PR words, and the very same people berating these words are quietly slipping them into pitches. The articles spill out of the sides of the internet; a continual one-upmanship in who can take down cliches in the cleverest, prettiest way. So I could be the “better person” and stop adding to that, but there’s just too much dark pleasure to be had in bitching about it. Bring on the fluff.
More like this
PR radio days are a comfort blanket suffocating our creativity
I began my career in PR committed to the truth. But honestly, I’m struggling
The undignified side of PR: was this really in my job description?
To get weekly news analysis, job alerts and event notifications direct to your inbox, sign up free for Media Network membership.
All Guardian Media Network content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled “Brought to you by”. Find out more here.
Could you be one of our bloggers? Got an idea for an anonymous blog post about the realities of working in PR? Get in touch here.