Whenever someone uses a clever, out-of-the-ordinary word or phrase to fittingly describe something, my ears perk up. The expression captures my attention, and right or wrong, I immediately perceive the speaker to be more intelligent, credible and creative. 

Far more often, however, it seems like we’re all speaking in a very basic, plain tongue, using only a fraction of our endless lexicon. Not always a bad thing, but it can undermine fresh thinking and perpetuate sameness. 

In marketing, creativity is an expectation. The way we communicate influences how ideas are generated, and more importantly, how they’re received.

Yet, cliché marketing-speak dominates conversations. It’s the stuff parodies are made of. 

Innocent? Yes. But marketing has the power to influence not just how we talk, but what we talk about, and our words have never carried more weight. So let’s put them — all of them — to good use. And while we’re at it, let’s vow to kick the crutch words and uptalk that have become commonplace in communications, of all fields. In the new year, let’s read more, play more (Catchphrase, anyone?), speak confidently and stretch to experience a little more culture. Or simply vow to learn a new word each day.