When Good Words Go Bad

I've never worked with the Chicago ad agency and brand consultancy Coleman Partners, but I'm mightily impressed by the intelligent writing on its web site. The site's overly clever design, however, is sure to frustrate anyone who didn't go to design school, so I'm going to give you a detailed road map to a wonderful "Off-White Paper" modestly titled "Marketing & the English Language: A Guide to Better Communication," which is full of useful and gracefully written advice and hackles-raising examples of corporate blather.

1. Click on "Explain" (left-hand circle). 2. Click on "Logical" (as opposed to "Strategic," a word that Sets My Teeth on Edge; I dearly wish Coleman hadn't used it). 3. Click on "Off-White Papers," of which there is only the aforementioned one at the moment.

Here's an extract, but I heartily recommend that you read the whole paper:

Companies willingly spend millions of dollars developing better, faster, bigger, more exciting products and services. They will subsequently and without hesitation invest heaps of cash and man-hours into market research. They will meticulously choose color schemes and logos designed to hollow out an expanse of recognition in the minds of consumers. And then, when all that work has been done, when all the money has been spent on being, looking and feeling different, they will spend almost no effort in sounding different.

Of course, none of my clients is guilty of this sin.

Comments

[Washington]

I think what you are doing is great!!! I want to use your color scheme at my sites...

[Bell]

Gruezi, Super Site betreibt Ihr hier!!! Das kann sich wirklich sehen lassen...