Say What You Mean Damnit 2
Sometimes finding the PR Goof of the Day is time consuming, looking all over the Web for the goofiest comment, campaign, blooper or idiocy. But then, sometimes the biggest goofs just pop right up in one’s mailbox. A friend sent this one to us that for lack of a better term, is un-understandable, or should I say, dis-understandable? Well, just put it this way, I cannot understand the first two paragraphs.
Evidently the PR firm of JKS releases their press via Punjab for the English market, and via The Boston Globe for the Kashmir public, or someone had one too many science classes in college. Here is the text from the first paragraphs, see if you can decode the message…
New Book Uncovers the Emotional Triggers That Drive Sales
“Must-read new book for sales and marketing professionals explains why the corporate decision to buy Oracle or do business with service providers is no different than consumers deciding to buy Toyota or Nike.
(Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, January 12 2009): A new book comprehensively introduces Emotional Trigger Research, a deceptively simple but powerfully effective method that helps uncover the core, unfiltered and spontaneous triggers that cause people to act.”
I don’t know about every John Q. Reader, but the first paragraph is almost readable. I think it means that buying Oracle is like buying Toyota or Nike, am I right?
The second paragraph however, could mean any number of things to any number of people. Is comprehensively introducing better than regular introducing? Maybe I should comprehensively introduce my partner to everyone at a party rather than just regular introducing her?
Another thought is; “Is using deceptively simple but powerfully effective powerful enough to effectively modify something that can uncover the core, unfiltered and spontaneous trigger that tells someone they are being baffled with BS, or will this cause people to act erroneously?
Reading this press release from a PR firm triggered my schnapps intake response mode. Does anyone honestly read these things and actually assume the general public will understand. I think the person who wrote the book may not even be able to grasp the concept. Any way, English 101, write as if the person reading knows absolutely nothing about the subject you are covering. The other principal that comes to mind for press releases and life in general is KISS. Keep it simple stupid!
It has been a banner week so far for PR Goofs, I hope the readers got a laugh, and that the winner take it with a grain of salt.
Note: The book this release was intended to “comprehensively announce” is featured on Lilliana’s latest commentary. Evidently the book has been introduced so comprehensibly that Amazon was supposed to sell the book for $14.99, but it has been discounted to $11.24 in one day. Who knows, maybe the original price yesterday was too overzealous?
