INC Magazine: Your Brand’s Biggest Marketing Claims May Be Driving Shoppers Away

For any brand, using buzzwords is usually a bad idea. But that doesn’t stop every major DTC sector from developing its own vocabulary of hard-working fluff that obscures what the product actually is.

In fashion and apparel, you get vague sustainability claims like “eco-friendly,” “conscious,” “circular,” or “ethically sourced” without defining the material or supply chain. CPGs rely on empty words like “clean,” “guilt-free,” “superfood,” “artisanal,” or “all-natural.” Even tech sometimes hides behind corporate-speak like “next-gen,” “revolutionary,” and “seamless.” And more recently, “AI-powered” has entered the buzzword lexicon.

In most cases, brands think they are earning sales by using these words. In reality, they’re creating a kind of cognitive friction—triggering consumer skepticism when shoppers assume the brand is masking a lack of real substance.

Not to mention, using generic environmental buzzwords like “eco,” “green,” or “carbon neutral” without prior third-party verification increasingly carries heavy legal penalties. To a DTC shopper, this type of language is a signal to scroll right past your big website headline to find the specs or ingredients list, or to abandon your site altogether to seek out a competitor that’s more transparent.

Meanwhile, the brands that have mastered their DTC operations are sidestepping buzzwords altogether. Rather than leaning on generic corporate fluff like “next-generation computing” or “revolutionary power,” Apple anchors its hero copy in plain-language performance metrics. And despite its sustainable reputation, Patagonia doesn’t lean on vague greenwashing terms like “green” or “eco-friendly.” At Ritual’s e-commerce site, you won’t find phrases like “pure,” “clean,” or “toxin-free.” Even Dyson knows better than to call its vacuums “super-powered” or “unmatched,” preferring to ground its marketing in engineering specs.

These are brands that have realized the limits of using trendy words and phrases. Even when a buzzword has initial utility, that relevance never lasts, with oversaturation leading to a lack of differentiation. Eventually, consumers begin associating a buzzword with hype or deceptive marketing. In the DTC world, this is a potentially fatal mistake.

That’s why it’s crucial that brands are vigilant when it comes to avoiding overused language, instead applying some basic lessons to make sure your DTC ecosystem isn’t falling into a buzzword trap.

Apply the “noun-and-number” rule: If you suspect your messaging is getting buzzword-heavy, replace subjective adjectives with concrete nouns and numbers. For example, instead of writing “Ultra-durable, premium backpack,” write “Made from 400D Ballistic Nylon with reinforced YKK zippers.”

Run the “inverse test”: If the inverse of your claim sounds completely ridiculous, your original claim is probably a buzzword. For example, claiming “Our snacks are made with high-quality ingredients” fails this test because no brand claims “Our snacks are made with terrible ingredients.” That means it’s time to replace your claim with specific proof, like “Made with 100 percent non-GMO organic dates.”

Prioritize “above-the-fold” utility: On mobile screens, users make split-second decisions. The first message a shopper sees should answer three questions in plain language: What is it? What are the core specs? And how much does it cost? Don’t make the mistake of thinking fluff language should take priority over these core purchase drivers.

Anchor descriptive words with clickable proof: If your industry tends to use broad descriptive terms like “recycled” or “clinically studied,” turn that text into an interactive element or modal that reveals the third-party certification, lab test result, or supply-chain map.

Consumers have made themselves clear. They don’t want aspirational messaging from the brands they buy, they want functional proof. That means fewer trendy buzzwords and more spec-based messaging that gives shoppers the exact information they need; turning skeptics into lifelong brand supporters.