Like serious actors, our designers want a good script to work with, allowing them to build the best ad, brochure, or website possible. When we are "acting" out a design, we put ourselves in the target audience's shoes and often cringe at the bland statements made by some manuscripts. We call these statements platitudes and clichés:
"We treat you like family."
"We're professionals."
"Colorado's leader in whatever."
"Buy now and save."
"Call now."
"Click here."
A platitude is a trite remark made as if it were true and profound, while a cliché is a statement so overused that it's lost any meaning. The reason platitudes and clichés make it into marketing copy is because the writer neglected to develop a compelling message (or clients unwittingly insert them to spice things up!). Platitudes and clichés are not only bad taste, they don't help you differentiate. And differentiation is one of the most important elements in effective marketing and branding. So before you make an investment in producing a printed piece or website, put your manuscript through these simple tests that we've adapted from a list created by Alan L. Tarr.
1. "Prove It": When a customer reads "The Quality Leader" they will intuitively want you to "Prove it." If there's no proof in your ad, your money wasn't well spent.
2. Substitute your competitor's name: When your piece contains platitudes and clichés it is impossible to differentiate your business from competitors. To prove this point, try crossing your name out and putting in a competitor's. For the most part, does the copy work just as well for your competitor? If so, there's no compelling reason to read your website, let alone do business with you.
3. "Well, I Should Hope So": Check your manuscript for statements that make a big deal out of something that your potential customers take for a given. When McDonalds recently advertised "100% Beef" in their hamburgers, most customers responded with "Well, I should hope so. What else would be in your hamburger patty? What was in it before you switched it to 100% Beef? Possum?"
4. Everybody reads the same books: So you read the latest self-help book on marketing, eh? And it told you to use a particular call to action. Well, you're not the only person reading that book, and over time, your unique call to action becomes just another marketing cliché. Challenge yourself: is there a more unique way to say "Buy now." If you are a custom computer company, how about "Customize It"?
At Tenfold, we do our best to keep our manuscripts 100% platitude and cliché-free for everyone's sake. So next time you're wanting to add some "sizzle," make sure it passes the tests above.
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