This blog has railed against the dishonesty behind doublespeak and the long-term damage such “cleverness” can do to the integrity of your brand (i.e. Toyota renaming a “recall” as a “special service campaign”). Using gobbledegook in your brand communications is less sinister, but it still inhibits clear, compelling communication and it definitely can bore your customers to death.
Forbes.com has a great slide show of annoying corporate jargon. Does anyone think the phrase “out of the box” is the least bit clever? If the word “solution” appears in your communications, or worse, in your name, stamp it out. Don’t use the “utilize” when “use” works just fine. Talk like your customers talk. Don’t say “managed solutions” when your customer is looking for “someone to help me keep my software current.”
Communications that are clear and vivid are the most memorable–and memorability is the key quality of an effective brand. A great brand always thinks “outside the box.” (sorry!)