The Gobbledygook Manifesto [PDF] by David Meerman Scott

The Gobbledyg
By David Me
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gook Manifesto
eerman Scott
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Oh jeez, not another flexible,
industry-standard, cutting-edge pro
I think I’m gonna puke! Just like wit
cropping up again and again in Web
grates against my nerves and many
don’t communicate very well, you k
So few marketing and PR people wri
the years and the hundred or so new
are laden with these gobbledygook
are being used, and created an anal

AN ANALYSIS OF GOBBL

First, I selected words and phrases t
and journalists to get a list of gobbl
for help with my analysis. The folks
news releases sent by companies in
that had been sent to one of the No
from January 1, 2006, to September
were Business Wire, Canada NewsWi
Newswire, and Primezone Media Ne

The results were staggering. The ne
releases in the nine-month period, a
Gobbledygook phrases. The winner

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scalable, groundbreaking,

oduct from a market-leading, well positioned company! Ugh.
th a teenager’s use of catch phrases, I notice the same words
b sites and news releases—so much so that the gobbledygook
y other people’s, too. Well, duh. Like, companies just totally
know?
ite well. Many of the thousands of Web sites I’ve analyzed over
ws releases I receive each week from well- meaning PR people
adjectives. So I wanted to see exactly how many of these words
lysis to do so.

LEDYGOOK

that are overused in news releases by polling select PR people
ledygook phrases. Then I turned to Factiva from Dow Jones
at the Factiva Reputation Lab used text mining tools to analyze
n North America. Factiva analyzed each release in its database
orth American news release wires it distributes for the period
r 30, 2006. The news release wires included in the analysis
ire, CCNMatthews, Commweb.com, Market Wire, Moody’s, PR
etwork.

ews release wires collectively distributed just over 388,000 news
and just over 74,000 of them mentioned at least one of the
was “next generation,” with 9,895 uses. There were over 5,000

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uses of each of the following words
“easy to use.” Other notably overuse
edge,” “mission critical,” “market lea
Oh and don’t forget “interoperable,”
in news releases.

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s and phrases: “flexible,” “robust,” “world class,” “scalable,” and
ed phrases with between 2,000 and 5,000 uses included “cutting
ading,” “industry standard,” “turnkey,” and “groundbreaking.”
” “best of breed,” and “user friendly,” each with over 1,000 uses

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WRITE FOR YOUR BUYER

Your buyers (and the media that cov
product solves, and they want proo
meant to be the beginning of a rela
leads), which requires a focus on bu
Every time you write—yes, even in n
each stage of the sales process, wel
specifically, will help them.

Because these write
their products solve
they cover by explai
and pepper this blat

Whenever you set out to write some
the buyers that you want to reach.
in your industry. In the technology b
and “cutting-edge” are what I call go
business-to-business technology com
companies have a particularly tough
Because these writers don’t underst

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RS

ver your company) want to know what specific problems your
of that it works—in plain language. Your marketing and PR is
ationship with buyers and to drive action (such as generating sales
uyer problems. Your buyers want to hear this in their own words.
news releases—you have an opportunity to communicate. At
ll- written materials will help your buyers understand how you,

ers don’t understand how
e customer problems,
ining how the product works
ther with industry jargon.

ething, you should be writing specifically for one or more of
You should avoid jargon-laden phrases that are over-used
business, words like “groundbreaking,” “industry-standard,”
obbledygook. The worst gobbledygook offenders seem to be
mpanies. For some reason, marketing people at technology
h time explaining how products solve customer problems.
tand how their products solve customer problems, or are too

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lazy to write for buyers, they cover
pepper this blather with industry jar
materials and news releases is a bu
help companies “streamline busines
tional resources.” Huh?

Just saying your wid
means nothing unle
standardization is i

HOW DID WE GET HERE

When I see words like “flexible,” “sca
my eyes glaze over. What, I ask mys
standard” means nothing unless som
In the next sentence, I want to know
tell me why that standard matters a

People often say to me, “Everyone in
dysfunctional process works and wh
buyers, the problems buyers face, o
the gobbledygook happens. First th
the organization to provide a set of

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by explaining myriad nuances of how the product works and
rgon that sounds vaguely impressive. What ends up in marketing
unch of talk about “industry-leading” solutions that purport to
ss process,” “achieve business objectives,” or “conserve organiza-

dget is “industry standard”
ess some aspect of that
important to your buyers.

E?

alable,” “groundbreaking,” “industry standard,” or “cutting-edge,”
self, is this supposed to mean? Just saying your widget is “industry
me aspect of that standardization is important to your buyers.
w what you mean by “industry standard,” and I also want you to
and give me some proof that what you say is indeed true.
n my industry writes this way. Why?” Here’s how the usual
hy these phrases are so overused: Marketers don’t understand
or how their product helps solve these problems. That’s where
he marketing person bugs the product managers and others in
f the product’s features. Then the marketing person reverse-

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engineers the language that they th
what the product does. A favorite tr
the product manager provides, go i
“solution” for “product,” and then slat
By just decreeing, through an electro
companies effectively deprive them

Another major drawback of the gen
pany stand out from the crowd. Her
dreamed up and substitute the nam
Does it still make sense to you? Mar
isn’t effective in explaining to a buy

“Hold on,” you might say. “The techn
I’ll admit that the gobbledygook ph
in the business-to-business space. If
products (shoes, perhaps), then you
The same thing is true for nonprofit
unlikely to use these sorts of phrase

The fact is that there is equivalent n
world of local government. “The sus
of energy inefficiency and to develo
energy and energy-efficient technol
buy-in to potential behavioral chang

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hink the buyer wants to hear based not on buyer input but on
rick these ineffective marketers use is to take the language that
into Microsoft Word’s find-and-replace mode, substitute the word
ther the whole thing with superlative-laden, jargon-sprinkled hype.
onic word substitution, that “our product” is “your solution,” these
mselves of the opportunity to convince people that this is the case.

neric gobbledygook approach is that it doesn’t make your com-
re’s a test: Take the language that the marketers at your company
me of a competitor and the competitor’s product for your own.
rketing language that can be substituted for another company’s
yer why your company is the right choice.

nology industry may be dysfunctional, but I don’t write that way.”
hrases I chose are mainly used by technology companies operating
f you are writing for a company that sells different kinds of

would probably not be tempted to use many of the above phrases.
ts, churches, rock bands, and other organizations—you’re also
es. But the lessons are the same.

nonsense going on in all industries. Here’s an example from the
stainability group has convened a task force to study the cause
op a plan to encourage local businesses to apply renewable-
logies which will go a long way toward encouraging community
ges.” What the heck is that?

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Here’s the rule: whe
buyers, not with you

Or consider this example from the fi
page. “…[Company X] has remained
entertainment experiences based on
storytelling. Today, [Company X] is d
consists of integrated, well-connecte
and growth worldwide.” Can you gu

EFFECTIVE WRITING FOR

Your marketing and PR is meant to b
This begins when you work at unde
sliced into distinct buying segments
situations each target audience may
Needs? Only then are you ready to c
you write, start with your buyers, no
Consider the entertainment compan
guess it was Disney’s corporate ove
what customers want from an enter
what they think they already provid

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en you write, start with your
ur product.

first paragraph of a well-known company’s corporate overview
d faithful in its commitment to producing unparalleled
n its rich legacy of quality creative content and exceptional
divided into four major business segments… Each segment
ed businesses that operate in concert to maximize exposure
uess the company?

R MARKETING AND PR

be the beginning of a relationship with buyers (and journalists).
erstanding your target audience and figure out how they should be
s or buyer personas. Once this exercise is complete, identify the
y find themselves in. What are their problems? Business issues?
communicate your expertise to the market. Here’s the rule: when
ot with your product.
ny paragraph. The marketing and PR folks at Disney (Did you
erview page I quoted from above?) should be thinking about
rtainment company, rather than just thinking up fancy words for
de.

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At each stage of the
materials combined
programs will lead
how your company c

Why not start by defining the proble
with the state of the American enter
too derivative and that entertainme
Next, successful marketers will use
can solve their problem. Be careful
like you’re trying too hard either—th
you might talk to a relative you don
Like our audience, we care about an
business in the first place. As such,
and don’t know about the Disney bu
TV shows, videos, and passes to the
write something like I suggest. It mi
to use a phrase like movies and TV
absolutely essential to establishing

Your online and offline marketing co
which requires a focus on buyer pro
they want proof. Every time you wri

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sales process, well-written
d with effective marketing
your buyers to understand
can help them.

em? Many television and cinema fans today are frustrated
ertainment industry. They believe today’s films and shows are
ent companies don’t respect their viewers’ intelligence.

real-world language to convince their customers that they
to avoid corporate jargon, but you don’t want to sound
hat always comes across as phony. Talk to your audience as
n’t see too often—be friendly and familiar but also respectful:
nd enjoy movies and TV shows—that’s why we’re in this
we pledge to always… Now I have no connection with Disney
usiness. But I have purchased a lot Disney products: movies,
eme parks. It might seem strange to people at Disney to actually
ight feel strange for the PR and marketing people at Disney
shows rather than quality entertainment content, but that it’s
a relationship with customers.

ontent is meant to drive action (such as generating sales leads),
oblems. Your buyers want this in their own words, and then
ite, you have an opportunity to communicate and to convince.

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At each stage of the sales process, w
programs will lead your buyers to u

Good marketin
but a focus on d
certainly pay o
sales, higher re
ink from journa

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well- written materials combined with effective marketing
understand how your company can help them.

ng is rare indeed,
doing it right will most
off with increased
etention rates, and more
alists.

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info About the Author
David Meerman Scott is an online thou
buy the book developed have won numerous awards
Get more details or and services worldwide. He is the autho
buy a copy of Scott’s Blogs, Viral Marketing and Online Media
The New Rules of and marketing category. Scott has lived
Marketing and PR. presented at industry conferences and
He blogs at www.WebInkNow.com.

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ught leadership and viral marketing strategist. The programs he has
s and are responsible for selling over one billion dollars in products
or of The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases,
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