Poor Grammar = Brand Erosion
Between text messaging, email, Facebook, and Twitter, we tend to place less and less value on correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage in today’s social media driven culture.
Maybe we’re a bit overzealous when it comes to grammar because we are a marketing agency, but when did a lot become alot? And apparently your best friend is now your bestfriend. But it doesn't stop there. You are now going too work, and when you get their, your going to a meeting. Words are being extendedddddd and stretcheddddd outtttttt for nooooo reasonnnnnn. Sentences are running together, words are being smashed together, and proper nouns are being ignored.
Our recent favorite tweet: "knowledge is definately power." (How ironic.)
Is the social media driven culture prompting a paradigm shift? Or on the flip side, is this complete grammar mayhem, which promotes brand erosion?
Here are some real life advertising examples that prompt such a question:
An online banner ad from a well-known travel agency.
A banner outside of a mattress store.
A favorite breakfast place of many Americans.
The cover of a reputable magazine.
So although we all take grammar shortcuts every once in awhile, it is important to remember that if your shortcut makes it to the billboard, magazine cover, door poster, or email to a potential investor, you run the risk of eroding your brand.
That being said, one of the easiest ways to improve your writing is to remember to take a few minutes
to proofread for simple mistakes — we all know we should do it, but it seems to consistently be pushed to the bottom of the "to do" list. It is helpful to think of all your writing as an advertisement because everything you write represents you and your business. Even a simple email should be edited for typos, spelling mistakes, and grammar. Make sure you are using the right forms of you’re/your, their/they’re/there, to/too, etc. Double check to be sure that you have capitalized all proper nouns and that you haven’t accidentally capitalized any random words.
So although there are worse things in life than forgetting to proofread, a little extra double-checking and editing goes a long way to maintaining or improving your company’s image and showing that you care about how you represent yourself, and in turn, your clients.
