20 Ways Word Salads are Eating Away at Your Brand’s Trustworthiness
David Brier
Join the Elite 1% That Rise Above the Noise. ?? Slayer of the Mundane ?? Author of the #1 Amazon bestseller “BRAND INTERVENTION” responsible for $7B in sales
Word salads are ruining brands.
And they’re destroying your business.
What is a word salad??A jumble of fancy words tossed together, hoping it tastes like a story. But really, it just leaves us hungry for a point.
Word Salads are Not a Small Issue
? They confuse customers.
? They ruin brand stories.
? They send customers to your competition.
So, what’s happening here?
→ Simplicity and clarity are often missing.
→ Many brands use overly complex narratives.
→ These messages fail to connect with audiences.
Real words connect (here ?are a few examples).
20 Ways Word Salads are Killing Your Brand
How exactly do word salads ruin your brand’s trustworthiness? Is it the croutons? The ranch dressing? Or something else? Let’s dig in.
1. Confused Customers Don’t Buy
Word salads make brands sound like they’re winging it—customers prefer a clear dish, not a guessing game.
Just ask?Kodak, whose complex corporate language and unclear messaging on digital strategy left everyone guessing.?
Their failure to clearly communicate played a big role in their?inability?to pivot successfully into the digital age, leading to a loss of market share and, eventually, bankruptcy.
2. Overcomplication Creates Hesitation
If your brand story needs a translator, you’ve lost the audience and the sale.
3. Looks Impressive, Feeds Nothing
Word salads sound impressive, but they don’t feed the curiosity of the buyer ( or the bottom line).
4. Jargon is a Buzzkill
Jargon doesn’t impress customers; it just sends them on a hunt for meaning elsewhere.
5. Customers Get Confused, Not Committed
When brands overcomplicate, customers undercommit.
JCPenney?learned this the hard way.?
When CEO Ron Johnson attempted a major rebrand with vague messaging and unclear pricing, customers didn’t know what to expect. The confusion cost the company nearly $985 million in losses, store closures, and lost loyalty.
6. Messaging Shouldn’t Be a Maze
A brand with word salads is like a GPS that keeps rerouting—annoying and unnecessary.
7. Don’t Expect Cliff Notes
If your messaging needs cliff notes, customers will probably just take the shortcut to your competitor.
8. Dressed-Up Nonsense is Still Nonsense
Overstuffed messages leave customers full of questions and empty on trust.
9. Confusion Isn’t a Brand Strategy
Brands aren’t built on confusion; they’re built on clarity that sticks.
10. Mystery Doesn’t Close Sales
If it takes a detective to decode your message, customers won’t stick around for the mystery.
RadioShack?tried to revitalize its brand with a fresh marketing push, but its unclear communication left everyone wondering what exactly the “new” RadioShack stood for.?
This muddled messaging, combined with an already struggling business, contributed to its decline and eventual bankruptcy.
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11. It’s Not Smart, Just Unclear
Word salads might look intellectual, but they’re terrible at starting conversations or closing deals.
12. Customers Don’t Come Back for Confusion
No one comes back for seconds if the first bite is baffling.
13. Don’t Overcomplicate (or You Overwhelm)
If your brand story can’t be summarized, your customers are already lost.
14. Forgettable and Frustrating
Messy messaging isn’t memorable—it’s forgettable and frustrating.
15. Sound Human, Not Like a Glossary
Complicated language might make you sound smart, but clear language makes you sound human.
16. Write Clearly, or Write Off Loyalty
You can’t build brand loyalty if your story sounds like it’s still being written.
17. Don’t Leave Customers Guessing
Customers don’t appreciate a mental maze—make the path clear and they’ll follow.
18. Easy to Digest, Easy to Trust
If your message isn’t easy to digest, your brand will be hard to swallow.
19. A Messy Message is a Missed Opportunity
If your brand message feels like it’s all over the place, the point you’re trying to make probably is too.
20. Overkill Kills Connection
Overdoing the language creates distance; simple messages make customers feel closer to your brand.
So, what do we do about it?
Simplifying Your Messaging
3 Main Strategies to Refine Brand Communication:
??Focus on authenticity
??Understand the audience
??Harness the power of storytelling
Focusing on clarity, authenticity, and relatable narratives will help you ditch the word salad and serve up brand stories that connect.
Otherwise, you go hungry. And so does your customer.
What’s the worst “word salad” you’ve ever seen?
Can Your Brand Do This? Here’s How.
If you have a small business that you own, take control of your brand.
When you control your brand, you control the narrative.?I explain that here:
Ready to Outsmart Rather Than Outspend the Competition??
Take a rapid, deep dive into disruptive clarity with us.?
Grab your spot for a free 30-minute “Clear Brand Messaging” strategy session.?
Together, we’ll unearth the tools to grow your brand and skyrocket that ROI.?
No strings attached, just pure, unadulterated strategy.?
Book Now. ?Because in the world of disruption, clarity is your secret weapon.
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3 周Yes! Being real and keeping things simple is really important when you're talking about your brand. David Brier
CEO @ Huemor ? Websites that Sell ? 93% More Website Conversions with ZERO extra AD spend ??
3 周Simplifying your story makes it easier to connect with your audience; great tips!
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3 周Love this approach to simplifying communication, David Brier, it's a powerful reminder of how authenticity drives success!
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3 周These steps to brand clarity are spot on, David Brier, clear messaging truly is key to connecting with your audience!
??A MacGyver for CEOs who want to save money, make money, stay out of trouble, & have FUN??
3 周Word salads seem to be in vogue this election season. but I still prefer simple & clear—I’m just a Kansas native that likes to keep it that way.