Plain & Simple

The trend in most forms of writing, political speeches and even business-speak has become laughably wordy and confusing.

For direct marketing copy this holds an added danger. If the intention is to confuse, then we have another credibility problem in the industry. Take a look at a dozen or so direct mail offers and see if they are written in plain English or in “direct marketing-ese.” And I don’t just mean the credit card, bank and insurance offers which are so full of small print and legalese that the reader needs a degree from the Wharton School to decipher them. I mean take a look at the basic direct mail offers. The ones that should be…. well…. direct.

Many seem to lack what was once the art of what we called “Plain Speaking.” Once we praised our politicians, like Harry Truman, for plain speaking. Now, with the lengthy recession and wars, endless political and celebrity scandals and just plain bad behavior we witness every day, I predict that, at least subliminally we are longing for more Harry Trumans. Or Teddy Roosevelts who said speak softly and carry a big stick! Direct marketers may be wise to tap into this undercurrent and use it to their advantage. Speak plainly. Speak softly. The big stick they carry can simply be a fair offer, explained in plain English which allows the consumer to decide if it has value. Plain and simple. Perhaps this is a trend direct marketers can champion and with any luck it will be embraced by every aspect of society.

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For more information on international data and analytical solutions, contact me at doug@focus-worldwide.com.