The king of clichés strikes again

The Swedish alphabet has 29 letters. The 39-volume Dictionary of the Swedish Academy contains over 500 000 words. No one knows exactly how many Swedish words are in circulation. In addition to these, new words are constantly being added to describe a changing world. The Swedish language is incredibly rich and has everything needed to put a person's thoughts into words.

So why? Why am I exposed daily to thousands of clichés I've already heard to the point of boredom? Does no one have the energy to think a new thought? Or are the old, tired texts perceived as good enough, and why bother when there is already a good formulation? In communication and marketing in particular, some people seem to be stuck in rather deep ruts. Sometimes it feels as if communications agencies probe companies with easily digestible and familiar formulations of everything from customer promises and PR to product descriptions and recruitment ads:

• Together towards a sustainable future
• Contains carefully selected raw materials
• Staff are our most important resource
• The market's leading companies
• We are looking for someone who can keep many balls in the air

Overexposure creates noise

But there is nothing wrong with these messages, perhaps friends of order will object. They are used because they work. Well, it certainly was like that once upon a time. Some talented copywriter has come up with a clever and innovative text that has stuck in people's minds. The problem is that when 90 percent of Sweden's bus and train companies write "Together towards a sustainable future" in large block letters on their vehicles, the text loses both uniqueness and content. It's as if the King of Clichés has come out with his pen. Again.

I can actually live with the uniqueness aspect. It is possible to say the same thing as someone else, as long as you do it with a little twist. But it's worse when a formulation loses its value because it's wildly overexposed. Then it just turns into noise, which nobody sees or cares about. The exact opposite of why the message was once developed. To be seen and heard.

The price of worn words

Not putting in the effort comes at a price. Clichés in marketing are bad for several reasons:

• Lack of originality: Clichés are overused expressions that have lost their impact. If your marketing message sounds just like everyone else's, it won't stand out in the noise.
• Reduced credibility: Clichés can make your message feel disengaged or dishonest. Instead of conveying an authentic message, they give the impression of a flabby brand that takes easy shortcuts.
• Emotional disconnect: Predictable clichés often fail to evoke strong emotions, which is contrary to the purpose of brand-building communication.

In other words, if you don't ensure that your company has its own voice, there is a risk that the resources you put into creating communication will be completely wasted. And its own words.

Businesses lack courage

So how did we end up in this textual soup? I think one aspect is the general view of communication as something you can do with your left hand. That communication is not taken seriously enough. Big mistake, because we as recipients are extremely critical. We expect a certain level of quality if we are to take the trouble to read a text. If it doesn't immediately strike us as interesting, it's so easy to scroll on.

Another explanation for the lack of consistency is that some companies seem to lack courage. They are so afraid of getting the slightest comment on their communication that they prefer to copy other people's messages. Andreas Ekström wrote an article in Sydsvenskan on March 5, 2024 about how he believes that Swedish media companies have lost their grip on their language. In the text, he is on to something important, which certainly affects companies outside the media world:

"However, the growing trend of corporate bullshit is about something bigger than individual word choices. I sense a lack of self-esteem. A hiding place, built of lint."

I think he is right. Companies hide behind other people's worn-out words because they don't dare to stand up for something of their own. What if we stand out too much, what if we are perceived as controversial? What will customers say? And the board. And the investors.

I'm just saying that without self-esteem and courage, there are no victories. Not in communication.

Creating living texts

So what is the way forward? How can companies make their texts take off, fly high and build strong brands? Not by reusing empty platitudes anyway, that's a dead end. A good message can't blend in, it has to dare to stand out. Be a bit of a narcissist - see me, hear me! A bit like Zlatan.

I can hear you sighing deeply now. I'm thinking that our company doesn't have a linguistic Zlatan who can conjure up nice words, we just have the intern in the marketing department who posts pictures on Instagram. But honestly, it doesn't have to be that hard. Just say what you want to say without looking at what others have done. Dare to stand out. Be the unique personalities you are. Stand up for your core values.

And if you ever talk about sustainability, for God's sake don't write "Together towards a sustainable future". Then my non-renewable brain will burn up, and that would certainly not be good for the climate. There are so many other word combinations. If you're struggling to find the right words, Navigator has a team of driven copywriters who are more than happy to bring your texts to life.

Or you can call Kliche-Kjelle!

In-depth reading

Lars Melin - Corporate Bullshit
Fredrik Kullberg - Swedish Dictionary of Phrases