In the world of traditional PR, marketing and advertising (and many other industries to be fair) there’s an obsession with jargon and other nonsensical buzzwords. It’s time we cut through the noise and get straight to the point. For instance, I’ve heard people drone on about “above the line” and “below the line” for years, and all I can think is that some of them have definitely done a few lines too many.
The only line I care about? The one where we cross the finish line and actually get things done.
Let’s be real—most of the terms thrown around in creative meetings are nothing but smoke and mirrors. They exist to make people sound important while saying absolutely nothing. If you’ve ever sat through a strategy session where someone used “synergy,” “leverage,” and “holistic approach”, and my latest AI favourite, “deep dive”, in one sentence, you know exactly what I mean. I get visions of my eyes rolling. The thing is clients don’t care about this fluff. They care about results. And results come from action, not from talking in circles.
PR should be about clarity, not confusion, simplicity and transparency not clouding. Yet, too many get caught up in their own terminology, making the simple complex and the obvious obscure. Here’s my rough translation of what some of these phrases actually mean:
- Above the line marketing: Advertising that costs a king’s ransom and is designed to impress.
- Below the line marketing: Slightly less expensive advertising, like searching for bargains at a busy flea market.
- Integrated communications strategy: We’re throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks – because why not?
- Brand storytelling: We made up a nice-sounding story that only the client and their mother will read.
- Stakeholder engagement: We’re sending emails into the void and hope to goodness that someone replies.
You see the problem? None of this helps a client understand what’s actually being done for their business. You could be in The Lorax, selling air—sounds impressive, but it won’t keep the lights on It’s like making clothes for the emperor for us all (not) to see – an illusion of substance that offers no real value. It’s time to ditch the fancy lingo and focus on delivering more reality less blah, blah, blah…. Only then can we truly meet the needs of our clients and drive meaningful success for their businesses.
What Actually Works
Instead of spending hours refining an overcomplicated strategy document filled with jargon, here’s what I do:
- Get to the point. In my very early days of winging it, a wonderful one-day workshop taught me about the Who, Where, Why What, When and How rule. Get it in there, no excess, no hype —be clear and direct. Save the creative writing for yo’mamma!
- Use real language. One of my favourite quotes from Mark Twain, “Why say metropolis, when city will do?” If I wouldn’t say it in a conversation, I won’t say it in a boardroom. “Don’t allow fluff and flowers and verbosity to creep in.” (this straight from the mouth of Samual Langhorne)
- Measure by impact, not by the number of meetings we had. PR is a long walk that builds credibility and authenticity. Just like a road trip, PR requires patience, commitment, and a willingness to navigate through unexpected twists and turns. Be in it for the road trip.
- Tell the truth. No spin, no exaggeration—just honest messaging that resonates with real people.
PR isn’t about looking busy. It’s about making things happen. The real work happens beyond the ‘strategy decks’ and PowerPoint gymnastics—it’s in the decisions made, the stories told, and the connections built along the way.