Words Matter

There's been a hullabaloo about words in the ongoing presidential race. The substance of the debate is that "words matter". I won't get into a political discussion here since that's not the point of this post. But I do want to underscore that we at Roeder-Johnson feel strongly that "words matter."

We have described in previous posts the idea of a "high concept" behind communications. That is, boiling a set of messages to its most resonant and simple context (there's been some of that in this campaign as well). Certainly words matter in that exercise. We have had numerous instances in our history when the choice of the right words to describe the essence of a company was at the heart of our communications -- and often of the company's success.

But even in some less lofty circumstances, words and their choice matter. Just this past weekend, we worked with two separate clients to craft communications that would clearly explain the significance of the companies, and why their particular news should be paid attention to (I can't tell you the details, since that would breach confidences). And last week, we did the same for another client -- as we will do for someone next week and the week after that.

The real point here is that in today's world where communications are boiled down to "sound-bites" -- in text, audio, or video -- making the point quickly and simply matters more than ever.