I was browsing through the Thornley Fallis site today – who directed me to the Top 10 most Irritating Phrases in PR.

I’m ok with the first 10 – but this second group that has me a little worried…

Moving forward
Cutting-edge
Leverage (it’s not a verb, people!)
Viral video/marketing
Utilize
Cost-effective
Innovative
Value-added
Forward-thinking
[insert word here] 2.0

I have to admit, I use many of these. (particularly fond of leverage – you want to take away leverage? dang – one woman says it’s her most-hated and showed up a couple more times in the comments)

I kinda thought they were the buzz words of the day – if you don’t include them, do you not put yourself at a disadvantage? Will it make you look like your aren’t on the cusp of all the latest trends and therefore not hip enough for the job?

Moving forward – how else do I get a meeting back on track without offending all the gabbers?

Cost effective – along with ROI ? I have nothing left – plain words eh?

Cutting edge – ok whole-heartedly agree

Viral/video marketing? – ok I have no alternative phrase for this one what else do I call the phenomenon? Surely video sharing via social media on a grand scale isn’t a more reasonable way to describe the hamster dance video of the 90s?

Value added? – to me this is a concise phrase describing additional materials added unexpectedly, but to the benefit of the client or campaign

Forward thinking – ok this certainly isn’t my favourite combination of words, but wasn’t ‘Proactive’ out last year? who has an alternative for this one?

Now I have been out of the work environment for a few years – and out in a small firm in the country for many more – perhaps once I get back into the swing of working I’ll be able to figure out how to get lose the corporate jargon from my proposals.

I’ll have to give this some more thought, I suppose.
What do you think?