The Language Advantage

The holidays are upon us, which means retailers are doing their best to compete for your shopping dollars.  So given the vicious competition and aggressive price cuts employed to get the consumers’ attention, how do retailers gain an advantage?  Well, at least one aspect is language.

A December 6 Rasmussen poll of 1,000 Americans revealed the majority prefer store signs reading “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays” (66 percent versus just 21 percent, with 13 percent undecided).  Although surely other factors such as big price reductions and stocking-specific products can play into consumer decisions, this survey shows how important the right words can be in gaining an edge – regardless of whether you’re a retailer, product manufacturer or a legal team trying to tell the most effective story.

[Read the entire report and see survey wording by clicking the following link: 66% Prefer ‘Merry Christmas’ Over ‘Happy Holidays’]

For some, language is about more than simple preference.  Witness the Arizona Salvation Army volunteer who was punched last week after telling a customer “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”  Although that customer may have been an extreme, it’s actually quite common for language choices to prompt a visceral reaction.

We approach mediation and trial messaging with the same mindset, which is that in order to connect with your audience and get them to buy into your story, you must first understand your audience’s values, preferences and mindsets, as well as the language and numbers they respond to, before trying to sell them on your version of events.  Jurors don’t want to do math or sit through hours of expert testimony – they want to side with the simpler story that makes the most sense and appeals to their experience and worldview.

Civil trials are similar to Black Friday sales in that there is fierce competition to get through to a specific audience – and any edge matters.  If you have an upcoming case that could benefit from the right language, words and messages to tell the most compelling story, please contact Senior Vice President Claire Luna at 714.754.1010 or cluna@juryimpact.net.

And for now, we’ll just stick with telling you Happy New Year!  May your 2014 be happy and prosperous, and we look forward to working with you.