I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in vocabulary, although I will never confess to actually reading a page a day from the dictionary. But when it comes to idioms, slang, and figurative language, that’s another world for grammarians to tackle. Already thrice today (yes, three times!) did I hear someone say or read someone use the phrase “fool’s errand.” Now, based on context, I got the general idea of its meaning, but I still went on an online search for it. Basically, it’s another way of saying wild-goose chase, which in my opinion, that term is far more prevalent and should be used instead.

“Actually, it is more prevalent.”
If you don’t believe me, you can do this search yourself. In Google, “fool’s errand” shows up 524,000 times, “snipe hunt” shows up 358,000 times, and “wild goose chase” shows up a whopping 1,310,000 times. That is nearly 150% more popularity than “fool’s errand.” (In “fool’s errand” defense, sources remark that it’s less serious than a wild-goose chase, saying that a fool’s errand is more intended to be a prank, whereas a wild-goose chase is intended to thwart an opponent off track).

So, why do I bring this up? It brought to my attention something I learned a lot while in school studying advertising, and that is strong headlines and creative copy. Look at what simply saying “fool’s errand” did to me; I went on an avid search for its meaning and purpose. If used in an ad, I for sure delivered action to its call.

A lot of unseasoned marketers might tell you to “appeal to the masses.”
That something that makes sense to everyone will lead to more awareness or sales. But that’s not necessarily the case these days. Every day, human beings are subjected to tons of copy and verbiage. Over the course of the day, people can hear and read over 100,000 words a day! (link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1235547/The-100-000-words-day-ruin-concentration.html)

“Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.”
Using specific words in creative order, especially if it is less mainstream, can create interest in your target audience. For instance, Sara Lee’s slogan is “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” For grammar sticklers, it almost makes you want to shudder, but in general, it actually makes sense. In an aisle full of cake mixes, you can’t say you haven’t stopped and read that line twice or more times.

In a recent ad by Mercedes, the grammar world went all up in flames from the headline, “More power. More style. More technology. Less doors.” (link: http://blog.quickanddirtytips.com/2011/09/29/the-mercedes-less-doors-commercial/) As someone pointed out in the comment section, the copywriter can be credited with some kind of poetic license. “Fewer doors” is grammatically correct, but it doesn’t flow as well in the statement. But, it does provide enough uneasiness to stick with you for a little bit. As far as bending grammar rules, musicians, copywriters and even Shakespeare have long forgone certain grammar rules just to either make a point or make a statement flow easier. But let’s save this discussion for another day.

Stop, rewrite, and roll
So take a look at your headlines in your literature, the type in your enlarged graphics in your trade show booth, and the call-to-action in the video that you’ll be playing in your exhibit booth. Is it striking enough? Does it entice people to want to learn more about you? Is it making people stop in their tracks and think for a second? If it isn’t appealing to you or your colleagues, maybe it’s time to change the voice of your message. For great tips on how to write great headlines, read this blog. (link: http://www.copyblogger.com/magnetic-headlines/) – Rocky Khamken, Online Marketing Associate