The CEO of Dunkin Donuts referred to a “strategic strategy” on BBC Breakfast this morning. Isn’t that like having a “planning plan”? Surely you’d expect a strategy to be strategic?
I thought it was a nervous slip of the tongue, but have subsequently found out from an American friend that it’s quite a popular expression in the USA.
There’s nothing wrong with Americanisms slipping into UK speech – it’s good to have an enriched language, but I think that we should avoid some of the more pointless ones.
This article on BBC News made me smile – asking people what Americanisms annoyed them http://bbc.in/K646Dc
The word strategy is probably the most overused word in the public relations business, used mostly by people who wouldn’t recognise a strategy if it came over and slapped them in the face! As a junior account executive I used to feel slightly in awe of this ‘holy grail’ called a strategy. A strategy is simply a plan of how to achieve objectives.
So let’s push the envelope, touch base and think out of the box. Or we could just understand our client’s business and develop a PR plan that will support their goals?
