Arthur wrote to ask my view of an interesting question: How often should a company use its name in a marketing piece?
He asked because he translates marketing pieces into English, and some of his clients use their name five times in a five-sentence paragraph. He wondered: Is this good style in the U.S.?
Let's think about what readers need. For readers looking at a marketing piece, is the name of the company the essential information? Do readers ask, "Gee, what is the name of this company?" and "What's the name of this company again?" and "I forget–what's the company's name?"
The obvious answer is no. Readers have no interest in a company's name until they recognize what the company can do for them. Readers need this information: "Why should I read this message? What is it about? Why should I care? What can this company do for me? Why should I believe what I am reading?"
If the answers to those questions are compelling, readers may wonder about the name of the company.
On this site I include my company name–just once–in the very last line beneath my own name.
Marketing pieces are like any writing. They need to give readers what they need.
Lynn
Syntax Training