Just imagine you’re at home.

You’re relaxing on the sofa.

When suddenly, you remember.

That thing in the corner.

That device that’s always on.

It’s now glowing.

The blue light is on.

You freeze.

Your blood turns cold.

You feel beads of sweat on the back of your neck.

It’s listening.

… it’s your friendly Amazon Alexa, eavesdropping on you again.

Maybe Bezos was inspired by it?

I doubt it, but, you can see the similarities between home devices such as Alexa, and the scary, always listening, always on, Telescreens from George Orwell’s 1984.

Big Brother is Watching YOU

(Can you tell I’ve recently reread it!?)

1984 is more than an uncanny glimpse into the possible future (or present) from almost 70 years ago.

From a marketing perspective, you can take copy notes from the Party’s invented Newspeak language.

Newspeak, is a controlled language of restricted grammar and limited vocab, meant to limit the freedom of thought — personal identity, self-expression, free will etc.

The average prole like us will find almost any sentence made up of Newspeak challenging to read, let alone understand and act upon.

For example, the only way to express the meaning of “bad” is through the word “ungood.” Something extremely bad is called “doubleplus ungood.”

Catchy right?

So, tell me, why do so many big corporates insist on using Newspeak on their websites, literature and general copy?

I write a lot of copy for corporates across a tonne of sectors.

From financial services, to manufacturing, to marketing.

I’ll read the brief, and visit their website to gain some background info myself.

I’m telling you, the sheer amount of fluff and unnecessary wording is troubling.

I mean, I’m being paid to help them, and even I get lost.

I feel for any prospective customers who come across their sites; these are real-life people WITH MONEY TO SPEND.

So, unless they’re equally lifeless corporate entities, ditch the Newspeak.

Speak soon, Comrade!

…and remember, “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!”