Helen Parry – 2nd December 2011
Being dyslexic I kept up with English lessons – never thrived on them. But recently I’ve got caught up with language. Speech is the most basic form of communication – something that should definitely be on our radar here at the School of Communication Arts.
“Stop facebooking and come rollerblading with me – we’ll skype them later”
In that sentence I’ve mentioned three brand names. Without even thinking, some brands have infiltrated the way we communicate with each other. As advertising continues to seep into every corner of our lives I’d like to warmly welcome you to the era of Branded Language.
However brands are property – and property needs protecting, right? What happens when your brand name is thrown about so much that it begins to lose it’s identity and becomes too generic?
This is wrongly assumed, it won’t. Why? Well, when someone says “Just google him” – which search engine is on your mind? And when you say “I’ll skype you later” how will you call them? The brand is at the forefront of your mind, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A brand wants a share in its market, but when your brand becomes the market surely it’s a success? As far as I’m concerned, I’m googling when I’m on yahoo.
And anyway, it depends on who it’s being thrown about by. After all, a personal recommendation is worth more than hefty ad spend. Not all companies agree with this. Adobe would like everyone to stop using the phrase “photoshopping” and has suggested the phrase “morphing with Photoshop software”. Really? But until Adobe becomes the speech police they’d better get used it.
I’m launching my business in less than a year. While I’m keeping my cards close to my chest for the moment, I have been thinking about my goals for the business. And here’s one:
I want to create a verb.
Yeah I’m a geek… but a verb? Why? Because verbs describe what we do – and isn’t that the goal? I’m learning how to create brands/services/products that are relevant to people. And if that service turns out to be so useful to people that they describe their lives by it, then surely the humble verb is the greatest mark of achievement!
