Marketing and the Jargon Jungle
Jargon isn't just annoying, it's a barrier to clear communication and it hurts marketing efforts.
Confused by "thought leadership" and drowning in a sea of CTAs (Call to Actions)? Marketing jargon can leave even the savviest consumer feeling lost at sea. In the fast-paced world of marketing, buzzwords and industry lingo seem to multiply faster than click-through rates on a hot campaign. But while insider jargon might make marketers feel like members of an exclusive club, it also erects unnecessary barriers that alienate outsiders and sow confusion. It's time for the field of marketing to ditch the indecipherable acronyms and ambiguous trend words in favour of clear, accessible communication.
Let's start with the acronym avalanche that buries many marketing conversations. CRM, SEM, CTR, CPC, CPM – it's an alphabet soup of perplexing abbreviations. Sure, "TOFU" might be a helpful shorthand for marketers discussing top-of-funnel strategies. But to newcomers, it sounds more like an unappetising meat substitute than an integral part of the sales cycle.?
While a few marketing acronyms like SEO (search engine optimisation) have made their way into mainstream usage, others remain opaque. Even experienced professionals can find themselves stumbling over strings of letters. At best, the overabundance of acronyms creates speed bumps in communication. At worst, it excludes those on the outside from participating in meaningful marketing dialogues.
Of course, acronyms are just the tip of the jargon iceberg. The marketing world seems to give birth to a new buzzword or catchphrase every few months as companies desperately try to label themselves as thought leaders or growth hackers. Words like "synergy" and "disruption" get tossed around with little clarity on what they actually mean in a given context.
On the one hand, buzzwords can occasionally capture a legitimate new concept or approach. The problem is that they get stretched, twisted, and co-opted by lazy writers and speakers until they become devoid of meaning. A decade ago, “synergy” might have represented a coherent business strategy built on complementary resources. Today, it's more likely to be an empty phrase masking an absence of new ideas.
Beyond just being confusing or vague, marketing jargon can actually become a tool of obfuscation and mythmaking around the industry itself. A blizzard of technical terminology like “conversion rates,” “click-through rates,” and “A/B testing” makes marketing seem like an impenetrable world of data and secret knowledge. While these specific concepts have real applications, overreliance on dense jargon perpetuates an air of elitism and exclusivity.
At its most pernicious, jargon gives the impression that only a sanctioned priest class of “marketing experts” can truly understand the occult arts of persuasion and market share growth. It's the dialect of an off-putting inner circle closed off to those lacking the proper linguistic initiation. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, marketing is simply the art of identifying customer needs and interests, then crafting messages and experiences to engage them.
Ultimately, both marketers and the public would benefit from the field adopting norms of clear, straightforward communication rooted in concrete description rather than ambiguous claims of disruption or moving needles.? Many of the best marketing minds are recognising that true expertise lies more in weaving simple narratives that resonate with human experiences than tossing around opaque buzzwords.
In practice, this means leading with plain language explanations upfront before deploying any specialised jargon that may be necessary. If you have to use an acronym or term that might be confusing, take a beat to define it transparently. And whenever possible, ditch the coded corporate marketing-speak in favour of specifics about the benefits, features, and value propositions you're offering customers.
Instead of larding a pitch with vague proclamations of being a “synergistic, best-of-breed solution,” lay out the particular products or services available and how they can make someone's life easier or better. Rather than claiming to be a “disruptive force,” give concrete examples of how an offering improves upon existing alternatives.? Tell straightforward stories that show authentic human impacts.
By striving for clearer, more approachable messaging, marketing stands to become a more inclusive field and discipline. Widespread use of jargon may once have been a convenient way to produce an air of technical sophistication. But in today's landscape of media saturation and discriminating audiences, embracing plain speech is a more effective path to achieving clarity, trust, and real influence.
The cloud accounting software company Xero has explicitly committed to using plain language and avoiding jargon in their communications. Their website and marketing content focuses on clear descriptions rather than buzzwords. For example, instead of referring to “robust cloud-based solutions” they simply say, “online accounting software.” Rather than using accounting jargon, they explain concepts like “get paid faster with online invoices.”
By stripping out the technical terminology, Xero aims to make accounting and finances more accessible, especially for their target market of small businesses.
Air New Zealand has tried to move away from excessive corporate-speak and travel industry jargon in their marketing and customer communications. Their voice aims for a more relaxed, conversational, and human tone. So instead of using air travel jargon like “multi-modal logistical solutions”, their website describes things like, “Making travel easy with bags tracked all the way.” Instead of “best-in-class premium cabins”, they highlight “relaxing lounges and sleeper seats.”
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This plainer language aligns with Air New Zealand's branding as a friendly, laid-back airline option. It makes the travel experience more approachable for customers.
On the other hand, One local energy company (see if you can find it) frequently leans on vague business jargon in their branding and advertising. Their slogan “Passionate Kiwi thinkers, always trying” is jargon-filled but light on concrete meaning. Their website is filled with ambiguous phrases like “bespoke mobility solutions” and claims of providing “frictionless journeys” without plainly explaining what services they actually offer.
While banks try to cultivate a down-to-earth image, the marketing copy of one New Zealand bank (prefer not to name which one) often gets bogged down in financial jargon. Website sections promise “transformative digital ecosystems” and talk about “de-risking and futureproofing your core banking architecture” rather than clearly describing their products. Even something seemingly simple like opening a checking account gets clouded in vague corporate-speak about “seamless multi-vector integration.”
Government agencies can be the worst. As a government agency tasked with assisting exporters, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) ironically struggles with excessive jargon in their communications. Their website has been littered with buzzwords about “ideating disruption” and “incubating synergistic technologies. It contains impenetrable phrases like “catalysing growth in the innovation ecosystem” rather than plainly explaining their resources for businesses looking to sell internationally.
The email marketing company Mailchimp has made a concerted effort to use more plain language in its branding and messaging. Rather than using insider terminology, they focus on simple descriptions. For example, instead of saying they offer an “email automation solution”, they plainly state “send emails on a schedule.” Instead of using jargon like “lead nurturing workflows”, their website talks about “staying in touch with customers.”
This shift towards plainer speech makes their product offering more easily understandable, especially for small businesses and non-marketers.
The Swedish furniture giant IKEA is well-known for their rejection of complex jargon. Their procedure is to use straightforward language that would make sense to a 12-year-old. So rather than using pretentious design terminology in their marketing, they opt for simpler description. For example: “A sturdy floor lamp with an adjustable arm to direct light where you need it.”
This aligns with IKEA's mission of making good home furnishings accessible and unpretentious for everyday consumers.
These examples show how moving away from excessive business jargon can make things clearer for customers across industries. It's a growing trend as brands recognise the value of communicating in a more authentic, understandable way.
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