Buzzwords we don't love in the newsroom anymore

In the newsroom, we get tons of pitches and press releases every year. Some good, some okay and some we just don’t quite understand. But time and again, we’ve seen several words being used over and over again – which quite frankly, if you left it to us, would be retired. 

We’ve made a list of words that we feel are starting to feel disconnected from their originally intended meaning due to sheer over-use and generic applications everywhere. But if you’ve used these words to pitch your stories to us, don’t worry, we still love you – just maybe not the words you’ve used.

Here are our top five.

Digital-first

Seriously... isn’t everything digital-first? Can we truly think of marketing and advertising without thinking of things from a digital point of view? It is no longer really possible to reach our customers without considering digital in some way or another. Also, when we do talk digital-first, let’s not limit it to campaigns launching on social or creating an online store! We think true digital-first brands don’t really need to shout it out loud. As they say, actions speak louder than words! 

Phygital

For some reason, this word makes us wanna shimmy. Almost instantly, we are reminded of Olivia Newton-John’s pink tights in the classic “Physical” released in 1981. If you haven’t heard it, here you go – and enjoy your youth. The word saw a resurgence over the past year as markets started opening up and retailers had to balance between driving physical footfalls and online commerce, but honestly, it just makes us want to dance.

Disruption

Ever since Uber came on to the scene, we’ve been talking about disruption. And trust us, we’ve LOOOOOOVED the ways in which disruption has led to the changes in how we consume content, travel (when possible), pay for goods or simply buy our groceries. But it seems like right now, Mother Nature has handed to us the biggest disruption of all! So, maybe, just maybe, if we stop saying it so much, it will stop manifesting itself in new ways and forms? Law of attraction, anyone?

Brand purpose

What is the purpose of the use of the word purpose if it starts to lose, well, a little bit of its purpose? Don’t get us wrong, we ABSOLUTELY believe in the need for brands to stand up for causes, and find their meaning. And we salute the many brands making notable changes to make the world a better place. So yes, while we do want to really know what your brand stands for, maybe instead of a boilerplate brand purpose note sent to us, we can grab a cup of coffee and craft out a story which fits both our purpose? Have we said purpose enough to get across our purpose? 

Experience

Experiences are important, and we love having a good experience any day. But let’s be clear – not everything is a mind-blowing experience, nor will every campaign of yours invoke some sort of feeling that consumers will experience. So why don’t we leave it to the consumers to decide if your campaign truly is truly an experience, instead of claiming it to be. Let’s not dilute the true power of a wonderful experience.

So there you have it folks!

Oh, and one another point to mention, it isn’t just the industry pitches or releases that are over-relying on these words, we on the editorial team know we are just as guilty!

Photo courtesy: 123RF