I’ve talked a little about plain English before. My thoughts in a nutshell: it’s not dumbing down, it’s about communicating clearly.
Check this out:
This morning in Sunnyvale, California, Yahoo held a large press event to explain its new product strategy and debut some products out this fall. Blake Irving, Yahoo’s EVP and chief products officer, also outlined the challenges he faces at the company. He wants to bring “cool back to Yahoo.”
Excellent. That sounds like a good idea. Tell me Blake, what are you going to do to bring the cool back?
“You’re going to see things over the next few years that will feel a little bit different”. We’re going to be iterating much more frequently than we do today. People see Yahoo and see multiple verticals — you’re going to increasingly see “One Yahoo”. Going to be both on and off network. Yahoo is something that you take with you.”
You’re going to be what? Iterating? I’d probably know what that means if I wasn’t so transfixed on your multiple verticals. Come on, tell us what Yahoo really does.
“Yahoo is a global series of Web experiences across a variety of devices that gives people what they want. In content it connects advertisers to an audience that is global in scope. Yahoo is all about delivering experiences to individuals that make them engage with each other. Folks anchor on are you a search company? A content company? A communications company? We would like to engage with people on the things that matter most to them.”
Fine. Don’t then.
Compare that mumbo jumbo with the way Apple speak to their customers. Always simple language. Always written clearly. Really great, as Steve Jobs might say.
Perhaps the best example of recent times is a strapline of Apple’s that horrified me when I first saw it.
The funnest iPod ever.
Cripes. That’s all kinds of wrong.
At least that’s what I thought initially. But then I thought some more. The funnest iPod ever. Apalling English, but going on my own interpretation, plain English. It communicates perfectly with its intended audience.
And that’s what it’s all about. Someone needs to tell Yahoo.
(Source: econsultancy.com)
