Why Saying Less is More Important Than Ever

During a creative writing class a lecturer asked his students to write an essay containing four different elements, namely: religion, royalty, sex and a mystery. The prize-winning essay read: “My God,” exclaimed the princess: “I am pregnant! I wonder who the father is?”

This long-standing trend of utilising concise, creative messaging within the marketing and advertising space is more crucial for companies in today’s technology-filled world. Consumers wake up and reach for their smartphone to check their news feeds and social networking timelines even before greeting their significant other in the morning and continue to go from screen to screen, radio, TV, and billboards during the day, taking in an extraordinary amount of information along the way.

A simple, uncluttered, and minimalist aesthetic doesn’t just hold lots of appeal when it comes to the design of the latest and greatest mobile device, but also for the layout of mobile and desktop ads. Limiting ones words will result in them carrying more weight and the company’s message landing with more consumers compared to those firms employing in-depth marketing messages.

So companies should avoid overly hyping products and tone down campaign messaging around services to make these more visible, and therefore stand out from within the murky depths of consumer advertising. However, the mantra of less is more should even go beyond the design and word count used for advertisements; it should enlighten the thinking behind the messaging being used.

Businesses should strive to promote their goods and services so that consumers clearly know why they must buy it – the consumer return on investment. To do this, companies need to show how these will enhance the customer’s user experience and how it is going to help buyers simplify their lives, or save them time or money down the line. Doing so won’t only help them sell their goods and services, but also assist in their brand- and reputation management efforts.

Written by Hanleigh Daniels