Yes, that is a Bee Gees/Boyzone lyric, depending on your age.
This began as an impulsive rant on LinkedIn, but seems a chord was struck; at what point do words cease to be impactful, veering to cause mild annoyance before crossing the line to – gulp – repulsion?
The last three and a half months (yep!) have seen a pretty hectic news agenda, and the 24/7 news cycle has resulted in a few words being fast-tracked to comms infamy. And, thanks to my fellow colleagues’ input, here are a few for your consideration:
The 2020 banned words & phrases shortlist
1. Unprecedented
2. New normal
3. Pivot
4. Challenging/difficult/uncertain times
5. Any ‘war-like’ analogies
6. Unique
7. Unchartered
8. See you on the other side
9. Business as usual (BAU)
There is a serious point for professional communicators here. Once a word or phrase loses impact with an audience, the message it is conveying becomes diluted, reducing its overall effect, influence or credibility.
Losing resonance
Resonating – being clear, harmonious and relatable – is a crucial part of communication. The above words and phrases were all chosen in good faith, for good reason. At that time, comms professionals have pored over each sentence and intonation, ensuring they get the most out of their content.
However, the problem arises when these words and phrase become overused, detracting from the vital job at hand – in this case, continually reemphasising the importance of why the UK is in lockdown. The repetitive use of such words and phrases can saturate discussions, especially over a long period.
Sometimes, saying something different, or being more direct, can be more impactful – perhaps ‘Due to coronavirus’ rather than ‘In these challenging times’?
By no means is there a ‘right’ answer to this. Coronavirus has been, and continues to be, revealing fresh challenges for all of us, and that includes PRs, internal comms people and digital marketers. We have all been treading new professionals paths in the last four to six weeks, and will continue to do so throughout 2020.
This piece is purely to illustrate the associated risks of using the same language as others do, meaning you stand out less, and your brand or organisation’s individual values or tone of voice can be left behind. Take a moment to consider this next time a release, piece of content or tweet gets close to sign off. Is this the right time to change a few words? How are you being different?
Thanks for reading – I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you agree? What words have you noticed being overused? What phrases would you like to see on the 2020 shortlist? Do you have some all-time favourites to be put out to pasture?