Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Bad grammar is bad branding

A new school year begins next week, and with it, a new blogging season for me.

In the meantime, here is a great article from AdWeek discussing the causes and implications of poor grammar in business.


But is the proliferation of errors in business communication today just about grammar? I don't think so -- I think it's bigger than that. Many errors we see, like the one above, are committed by people who likely write well enough, but aren't paying enough attention to what they've written. Proficiency in writing is one thing, but attention to detail is another.

Given the number of channels constantly feeding us messages, it's no wonder we're a bit distracted. But 21st-century communications technology aside, when it comes down to the proofreading stage, the best writers and editors are those who can tune it all out and actually read what's on the page.

That's not a language skill as much as it's a form of discipline -- one that's a significant competitive advantage in the professional communication industry, especially at the entry level.

I'm looking forward to another year of helping students build that discipline!