Avoiding Gobbledygook

In "Goodbye, Gobbledygook; PC Makers Are Dropping Sales Pitches Built on Complex Specs," the New York Times reports that the computer sector is finally learning a basic marketing lesson: avoid jargon.

After two decades, PR manufacturers are also learning a lesson from Apple: Consumers don't like tech for tech's sake. They like what tech can do for them.

The article notes that Intel, Dell and others are finally focusing on what the computers can do, not the internal configuration. This is a critical time for the sector -- facing next month's release of Windows 7, the popularity of low-priced, low-margin netbooks, the industry seems to be at something of a crossroads.

The release of Windows 7 should push computer sales, especially of those with dying laptops waiting to skip Vista.

But it will be interesting to see if the non-jargon marketing will be successful.

I hope it will be because that will help PR functions help our clients in product marketing to focus on the benefits of their technologies, not the features or specs.