Please, please, please can we ban the C-word?

Julian Saunders

This article discusses the importance of language in shaping ideas, and suggests that many words used in marketing are overused and lack meaning.

Please, please, please can we ban the C-word?

Julian SaundersThe Joined Up Company

Words really matter and the fate of brands can be decided by them.

Words get stripped of their meaning if used too often. This is called semantic satiation: words progressively lose their potency through over-repetition. Our business overflows with words such as 'brand', 'engagement', 'target audience', 'core values' and, my particular bugbear, 'content'. Content is very hot now, turbocharged by all manner of 'brand engagement'.

So does the overuse of certain words matter?

The danger is that we stop thinking about what words mean. They cease...

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