Revolutionary? Leading? Global? Why American Buzzword PR Lands Straight in the Trash in the German Mittelstand
Reading American press releases often feels like stepping into a science fiction novel. Everything is “disruptive,” “revolutionary,” or at the very least, the “leading global provider of cutting-edge solutions.” While this might electrify investors in Silicon Valley, it provokes only one thing from a trade editor or a plant manager in the German Mittelstand: a weary smile and a targeted reach for the delete button.
Why is that? Because the statics are missing. Where no substance is visible, superlatives act like a poorly plastered facade that collapses at the first gust of wind—or the first critical inquiry.
Engineers seek proof, not adjectives
The target audience in the German tech Mittelstand is programmed for one thing: reliability. An engineer or a technical decision-maker doesn’t buy a “revolution.” They buy a solution to a concrete problem. They are looking for the “static load-bearing capacity” of a statement.
When a text is dripping with adjectives, the reader immediately switches to defense mode. The suspicion: loud marketing noise is being used to mask a lack of technological depth. In German mechanical engineering or industrial IT, “exposed concrete” is required — clear edges, honest facts, no frills.
PR Statics vs. Facade Marketing
The difference between US-style PR and my philosophy of PR Statics is fundamental:
- Facade Marketing (US Style): First, the shiny shell is built. Whether the foundation can actually support the promises only becomes apparent when it is too late. The result: a brief flash of attention, followed by a massive loss of trust.
- PR Statics (Taktgeber Style): We build from the bottom up. We take real facts, technological performance, and economic relevance as the foundation. Communication is the logical consequence of substance.
How to stop the “Buzzword Bingo”
If you want your messages to be not just read, but believed, three simple rules apply to communication in the German market:
- Evidence instead of claims: Don’t just write that you are “leading.” Show it through project successes, certifications, or concrete performance data.
- Relevance instead of revolution: Explain the benefit to the customer. How does it save costs? How does it increase system availability? That is far more exciting than any buzzword.
- Plain language instead of empty shells: Cut terms like “synergy effects,” “holistic,” or “innovative solutions.” Instead, simply say what your technology actually does.
Conclusion
Good PR in the Mittelstand doesn’t need a loudspeaker. It needs a stable scaffold of credibility and professional expertise. Those who forgo the facade and instead rely on the statics of their statements win the most important asset one can possess in industry: resilient trust.
Leave the “Bullshit Bingo” to others. Build on exposed concrete instead.
