The Power of Words

By: Kristin Golliher, WildRock CEO & Founder

Our industry is about captivating imagery and crafting fascinating stories that bring brands to life. While we often spend time analyzing the end-results of those efforts, we think it’s time to reflect on the very basics– words.

Choosing the right word to describe your message carries more power than we often credit. Literary artists have known this for centuries, often making up their own when conventional syntax didn’t suit. Did you know that Dr. Seuss invented the word “nerd” in his 1950s children’s book If I Ran the Zoo? And we can thank our old friend William Shakespeare for introducing us to over 1,700 new vocab words, including the popular “swagger” and “bump.”

In marketing and public relations, word choice has the power to make a brand or service stand out from its competition, and a story resonate with the audience. Some classic examples of companies who chose the right words might include:

• “Just Do It.”
• “I’m Lovin’ It.”
• “Because You’re Worth It.”

In these examples, Nike, McDonald’s, and L’Oreal, respectively, took ordinary words and transformed them into iconic, branded statements. A 30-second ad spot might bring the campaign to life, but the words can also stand alone to tell a story, remaining simple enough to stick in our heads.

Ready for some homework? Try to describe yourself by creating a list of descriptive words. It might start out simple with adjectives like, “funny,” or, “dependable,” but let yourself take it to your creative depths. You might find that you’re actually quite “whimsical” and “zealous” – and those words tell the story for you.

Just the right words, assembled with precision and simplicity, can make even the simplest of stories truly captivating!