#originalvoice ... #humpdaythoughts

#originalvoice ... #humpdaythoughts

Ever heard of “braziliafication” ? no it is not a new trend in trimming public hair.

It’s actually a term from 1991 that means the global trend for a growing gap between the wealthy and the poor and the shrinking of the middle class. Yes yes we think that is a “current issue” but it was evident 30+ years ago. More interesting is that it is an example of “original voice” which basically means the ability of people to create new language, words, spelling, pronunciation, writing and speaking styles that are unique and original.

An issue that has been made more important in the post GPT revelation that AI can “create” our content, entertainment and even marketing messaging for us.

I reread “Generation X” lately as background for an article I was asked to write about the myth of the Gen X, Y, Z mythology. I would be interested in knowing how many of you have read it. It was a novel about 3 drop outs in 1991 Las Vegas in going no where jobs, not worried about a future. The author, Douglas Coupland explained to me at lunch a year after it was published that he was very saddened that the business world and especially marketers has misunderstood it, and probably not read it, because they had somehow transposed what he saw as a minority of disaffected young americans and made it a generic for all young people of that time. Sad sad sad. More on that elsewhere

BUT what rereading the novel provided was a great example of original voice.

Coupland had a unique writing style and , maybe more important, he developed a whole range of unique words and phrases defined in little “boxed” explanations throughout that summarised what he saw as tactical trends of the moment … things like “veal-fattening pen” ( the workstations of most office workers ), “armanism” ( after Georgio Armani and the mimicking of all things Italian in fashion). it's where the term braziliafication comes from.

There are dozens of them. Some we never heard again. Some became more mainstream. All were “original voice”.

They were seen as witty, clever, unique and attention grabbing. You flip through the novel just to find these original words and expressions.

The envy of all writers ?

Go back further. In recent years we see more and more recognition that Shakespeare not only wrote wonderfully, he wrote originally. Hundreds of words the he seemingly invented. Or go back to the 1920s when one of my fav authors took off, Hemingway. Now we see his writing style as maybe archaic, at the time it was criticised as being to “different”. Reportage style was not for novels !!

Now here is the humpday thought.

In a world of spellcheck, most of Shakespeare’s new words would never have appeared. In a world of Grammarly, Hemingway would not read like it did. In a world of AI generated content many of us lose our original voice.

I was recording a podcast the other day and our guest, Hadi Hendrawan , commented afterward that on listening to the recording he did not think it sounded like the way he though he sounded. Now he is an AI developer so his answer was to explore developing an app that would mean when you record or talk live on zoom etc your voice would come across the way you thought it sounds, not as it does to others. Sound crazy ? maybe … but original it is. And his desire in everything he writes or says in meetings, at conferences, on podcasts is to sound original. ( you can watch the podcast here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ce_1ZTruw&ab_channel=XPotential )

So maybe have a think and consider.

Are you writing, creating, sharing, saying things in an original way ? is that more important than pumping out content via “aided voice” ( the use of AI and other apps and tech to create and massage your message ).

I will stick to be odd and original

?

Happy Humpday


and yes ... the photo is some a kind souls illustration of my being of original voice

Shubham Saxena

International Business Specialist | Pharma, OTC & Personal Care - FMCG | Reach out at +91-7532818397 if you need a result driven team to boost your brands' sales!

3 周

The concept of "original voice" is crucial in today's content landscape, especially as AI tools become more prevalent. Embracing our unique perspectives not only enriches our communication but also fosters genuine connections. Let's celebrate originality in our narratives and strive to share our authentic selves.

Linda Wong

Director, People, Attracting and Retaining Talent

1 个月

I've always been engaged in your stories! and I also think Tony Bulmer was the best presentation coach I ever had. Still use his framework.

Super insightful - great post, Dave! Now I want to go read "Generation X."

Manjari Palla

Co-founder & CEO at DataM Intelligence | Pro at Strategic and Growth Advisory | Transforming Market Intelligence Into Actionable Insights

1 个月

Another great post, Dave McCaughan! The intensity of the growing wealth gap you mentioned is spot on, and it's striking how relevant the concept of "brazilianification" still is today. The way you tie it to the idea of losing our "original voice" in this AI-driven era is powerful. It’s a reminder of how crucial creativity and uniqueness are in preserving meaningful expression. Always enjoy your thought-provoking insights!

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