• Business Week, Thursday, June 8, 2006 11:45 AM

Steve McKee, a Cleveland Advertising executive who owns his own ad agency, has some very particular ideas about what makes compelling ad copy. He believes in the power of words, not necessarily to sell products but to turn off potential customers. "From the time marketing began, there has never been a shortage of self-appointed experts who claim to have identified the words that will unlock your customers' wallets," McKee writes. "In the Internet age their advice is even easier to come by. They promise that words such as 'you,' 'guarantee,' 'easy,' 'limited-time,' and the old standby, 'free,' will generate surefire results. If only it were that simple." In this article, McKee says there are five words marketers should never use in their ads, even though all of them usually carry positive connotations on other contexts. He offers detailed analysis why each word should be avoided and reminds marketers: "Not only do magic advertising words not exist, several of them actually work against you. And chances are, you're using at least one of them in your advertising now." The five offenders are: "quality," "value," "service," "caring," and "integrity."

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