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Companies are increasingly excited and are sharing this enthusiasm with the public. Adweek examined press releases on PRNewswire from 2017 to the first half of 2024 and found that companies are becoming more and more “thrilled” to share their latest achievements. The word “thrilled” appeared 7,704 times in U.S. press releases published in 2017. Six years later, in 2023, the number of occurrences more than doubled, reaching 19,730.
“Thrilled” isn’t the only word used to express corporate excitement. Between 2017 and 2023, mentions of “passion” in U.S. press releases climbed significantly (54%). “Industry-leading” increased dramatically (98%), and “pioneering” experienced a more substantial rise (151%). While PR Newswire did not disclose how many U.S. press releases it distributed each year, they confirmed that changes in volume were unrelated to the rise in this overused language.
Other electrified words that have surged in press releases include “revolutionary” (183%), “groundbreaking” (242%), and “cutting-edge” (415%).
Unfortunately, this overuse of words alienates audiences.
Cision’s 2024 State of the Media Report found that the biggest challenge journalists face is maintaining their credibility as a trusted news source (42%). While a majority of journalists want to receive press releases (74%) and find them useful for generating content and ideas (68%), the overuse of electrified language erodes trust.
In fact, 55% of journalists said they would block a PR professional or put them on a “don’t call” list if they received a pitch that sounded like a marketing brochure.
Journalists want credibility behind a claim. There’s a difference between making a claim and validating one. Instead of saying, “deliver a cutting-edge solution,” try saying, “deliver a solution that will increase success rates by X%.” It’s important to assess the news value before sending it out and consider whether it’s really necessary to describe a new partnership as “groundbreaking.”
If you feel the urge to use an electrified word, replace that urge with a data point. Journalists will genuinely be thrilled if they don’t have to dig deep to find something credible that doesn’t sound like marketing fluff.
Read the Full Cision 2024 State of the Media Report
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