I'm annoyed by the ridiculous hype surrounding some so-called marketing buzz words. As marketers, we want to sound smarter than the next agency guy, but, too often, we are swept away because some ad guru has repackaged old strategies with fancy synonyms and re-branded these so-called ‘buzz’ words:
Content
It is amazing how many times a day I hear or see the word content. Maybe the whole content craze is due to the rise of blogging and the ability to amplify word of mouth through the Internet. Content is just another word for information. Since the invention of advertising in the early 1920's, brands and retailers have been using information (content) to persuade customers to buy their products or services. The appearance and depth of that information may have changed over the years as consumers have become more savvy, but it’s still the most common, and impactful way to
educate buyers.
Engagement
Engagement is not a fancy re-purposed word designed by advertising gurus. It is however, a strategy that brands and retailers have always executed. Engagement is simply how a retailer or a brand communicates with their customers or potential customers. I know the rules of engagement have changed (due, in large part, to smart phones and social media platforms) but what's the big deal? Instead of sending direct mail or newspaper advertising, you’re now engaging with your customers via Pinterest and mobile ads—same message, different delivery method.
VOC
Voice of Customer is a little newer on the buzz word scene, and seems to be cropping up more and more. This term annoys me to no end—if brands have not been speaking to the voice of their customers, then who-the-heck have they been speaking to? VOC is just a dumb acronym to make people feel smarter than the next agency: "We specialize in voice of customer." Really?
Big Data
Brands and retailers have been crunching numbers and analyzing data for decades. Now we add the word big and all of a sudden it is buzz worthy? Come on, people, get a grip. It is not any more or less important because people are calling it Big Data as opposed to just data. The bottom line is that you need to extrapolate your data to do a better job getting current customers to spend more money with you and to steal more customers away from your competitors.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, you need to out-smart your competition, sell more widgets, and make your customers loyal…with or without buzz words!
Please post a smart comment about what so-called marketing buzz annoy you and why.
Nice post Heather, I think that buzz words only have the power of the context they are understood in. In a way it creates trends in what is generally a stable set of concepts. That being said I think there are some good delineations with some buzz words. The key is figuring out if the buzzwords have any more specific meanings than the traditional words. Thought provoking actually :]
ReplyDeleteInteresting blog. Another one I over hear in the B2B industry is thought leadership. Although, I do agree with what Spokane Realtor said,"buzz words only have the power of the context they are understood in."
ReplyDeleteDee I wish I had the idea of adding thought leadership it is sooo over used! Thanks for reading my blog & taking the time to share a comment.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Heather. Too often I hear buzz words that make me want to roll my eyes. It's ok to use buzz words but where are the results? Words are words. Show me the results, and I'll believe you!
ReplyDeleteCosmin . . . Amen! You are preaching to the choir. At the end of the day are you outsmarting and outselling your competitors. Thanks for reading my blog and taking the time to share your comment.
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