Confusing Advertising Terminology Part 1

​Confusing and Deceptive B2B Advertising Terminology Part 1 

I am a huge, unapologetic fan of David Ogilvy. Many of his quotes still ring true today.

​This one in particular seems fitting:
​
"Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon...."

Ogilvy was referring to language in the actual ad copy but I think he could also be talking about the confusing and unnecessary complicated buzz-words of the ad business. Usually these phrases are used to make the listenerfeel incompetent, exaggerate the benefits of weak media goals or to gloss over mistakes. If you hear these in a presentation by anyone claiming to improve your advertising, at the very least, ask for clarifications. 

In fact some of these are so pervasive, they merit their own separate inspection. See the links for more detail on each. 

Below are some of my favorite overused terms in the ad business. 

1. Branding :
   • Legitimate Use: The process of creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers' mind.
   • Deceptive Use: Used broadly to cover any marketing activity, leading to vagueness and inflated importance. FYI- Please watch this video by Scott Stratton - See this page. 
2. Brand:
   • Legitimate Use: A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to imply value or prestige without concrete evidence of quality or distinction.
3. Thought Leader:
   • Legitimate Use: An individual or firm recognized as an authority in a specialized field.
   • Deceptive Use: Overused in self-promotion, often without substantiated expertise, creating an illusion of authority.
4. Thought Leadership:
   • Legitimate Use: The act of promoting ideas that are innovative and influential within a particular field.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to imply groundbreaking insight, often without significant substance or originality.
5. Scope Creep:
   • Legitimate Use: The uncontrolled expansion to project scope without adjustments to time, cost, and resources. This can happen if a client requests changes to the original agreed upon work. 
   • Deceptive Use:  It is also used to justify or explain additional charges to a project.
6. Ideation:
   • Legitimate Use: The creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to make basic brainstorming sessions sound more sophisticated and innovative than they are.
7. Smartest Person in the Room:
   • Legitimate Use: Often used humorously or sarcastically to describe someone who believes they are the most intelligent.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to assert dominance or superiority in discussions, often shutting down others’ contributions.
8. Brand Impressions:
   • Legitimate Use: The number of times a brand's content is displayed, regardless of whether it is clicked or not.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to inflate perceived brand visibility without providing context on engagement or effectiveness.
9. Share of Voice:
   • Legitimate Use: A metric that measures a brand’s advertising presence compared to competitors.
   • Deceptive Use: Used to suggest market dominance or success without considering the quality or impact of the advertising.