6 Words that BuzzWhacked Jane This Week

I am all about communication. Yesterday I discussed the value of communication, or the perceived value, as I have found differing opinions on what the word 'value' means. My favored means of communication is using words. Written or spoken, words have power and value in their ability to paint pictures in the listener or reader's mind, they can incite, they can soothe, they can inform, they can rebute. Words, used correctly, should give the listener or reader knowledge she or he did not have before hearing or seeing the words.

There is also the issue of non-verbal communication, which speaks volumes without actually using words. I fall back on that old favorite, a picture is worth a thousand words. Poignant, evocative, emotional, and true, but notice, I just used words to clarify what that old adage means. And, when you see a picture that is worth a thousand words, be it the Grand Canynon, the Parthenon, Yosemite National Park, the Mona Lisa, etc, etc, chances are you're going to have to come up with some words to articulate the beauty, the majesty, the awesomeness of what you've seen. People won't hold you to the thousand word rule, but they will want your honest opinion and I suspect it will contain some of the words I used here.

Other forms of non-verbal communication include body posture, eye-contact, appearance (does one dress for the occasion or buck the system and dress as one pleases?), handshakes, winks, and dozens of other quiet, but effective, ways to get a point across.

Jane would like to get back to words. Written words, like non-verbal communication, can easily be misinterpreted. In today's hurry-scurry world of nanobots and the like, email and Instant Messaging have taken the written word and mangled it until it's barely recognizable, sometimes. My research shows me that we need to learn this new form of abbreviated communication--the Gen Ys will be expecting us to know it. In order to reach them, everyone reading this missive should take the Gen Ys seriously, at their word. They are your customers just as much as Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are.

Today I'm going to post some interesting words from the BuzzWhack Dictionary. Words I think we can all relate to, words that will get us thinking, words that Jane thinks are appropriate for understanding how to conduct business on the web. See what you think:

Maturalism: mature consumers' pursuit of "best of the best" materialism. They're ditching mundane goods and services for more professionalism, premium or sassier versions. From heavy duty power tool to state-of-the-art cameras to grown-up ice-cream flavors. (Coined by John Whalston, BuzzWhacker-in-Chief)

Group think: A group dynamic that dicourages critical thinking in the decision-making process and encourages conformity to existing beliefs. Example: The Congress's report accused the CIA of group think in its analysis of pre-war intelligence. (Coined by John Whalston, BuzzWhacker-in-Chief)

Phonality: A phony TV reality show. The show may be unscripted, but it's manipulated by the producers to ensure the right outcome. (Nominated by Terry Porter)

Alpha pup: A term used by market researchers for the "coolest kid in the neighborhood." i.e.: "If the alpha pup likes it, we'll see a million of'em." (Nominated by ???)

Anticipointment: The feeling you get when a product or event doesn't live up to its own hype. "Windows ME was a huge anticipointment." (Nominated by Paul Strandlund)

Kruegerware: A new generation of spyware that hijacks your browser and, like the villain of "Nightmare on Elm Street", can't be killed. It can steal your homepage, lock you permanently to a triple X site, or ship all of your Google queries to a dubious ad-driven alternative. And, it's next to impossible to get rid of. Like Freddy Krueger, it usually comes back. (Nominated by Eileen Blass)

Jane is exploring the option of starting her own dictionary, to be called, Dicktionary, in honor of her beloved brother. She will share the Dicktionary with readers when she has more than two words in it. Readers will be encouraged to contribute to the Dicktionary, with the understanding that puns are allowed, but rude words are not. And, all words in the Dicktionary will be posted on the Dickless Marketing website.

Use today's words to increase your vocabulary and your understanding of what's out there for you. Words almost always identify trends. Paying attention to the buzz around the water cooler of the net (at BuzzWhack or in your favorite blog), will give you inside informaton on what your customers are thinking, doing, or wishing they could do.

What's not to like about that?

Comments

[elana]

This is a great idea! My personal favorite is Kruegerware..just because I've been Kruegered. Here's a game we might want to play, take a couple of days and track how many times you read "group think" or hear reporters, talking heads ,and sound bites using the term. It's everywhere. I believe that " Group Think" will become the gravitas of 2004.