I was writing a presentation deck yesterday and I used the C Word. Actually, I used it a lot. Look…I know better…but it has become so automatic to call people Consumers that I just did it.

The funny thing is that when I don’t use the word in a presentation and use people instead, it actually looks like I’m forgetting that this is about advertising. So I try to define what kind of people we’re talking about, based on why they use, or would use, the product. They may be true believers, fun fanatics, or truth seekers. Whatever their reasons are, I view them as people with a need or passion, instead of someone who turned into this consumer creature because they had an eye towards buying something and a buck in their hand.

David Ogilvy was famously quoted as saying “The consumer isn’t a moron, she is your wife!” I love how that quote takes you out of the realm of consumers and puts it squarely back at that person sitting across from you at the breakfast table.

It’s no mystery to me why we use words like consumer; it’s because advertising is more art than science. And while we try to quantify and qualify what we do with data and projections and targets, in the end it all comes down to talking to people. That’s what I try to remember when I write.

Steven Stark is a writer and creative director who tries to be careful what he says. You can see his work and read some of his other musings here.

Article Tags: Advertising | Beneath the Brand | consumer | Copywriting | david ogilvy | language | presentations | Steven Stark
Filed under: Advertising, Personal Opinions, Steven Stark, Strategy