Don’t use jargon

Years ago, I worked for a small video distribution company and started doing all their graphic design and printing. One of the first labels I designed for them was a PVT label.

I made a lot of PVT labels in different colors. $6.99. $7.99... but the most popular were the $9.99 PVT labels.

A few months later, I was driving by another video store and the sign said "PVT's $6.99."

Aside from the grammatical error in the sign I thought that it was interesting that they called them PVTs. After all, the only reason I had any idea what a PVT was, was because I made all those cool labels.

Over the last few years, I have asked countless people if they knew what PVTs are. I wanted to know what percentage of the general public knows. You'll be interested to know that my informal poll of people that know what a PVT is over the last 8 years or so is 0%.

Do you know what a PVT is? It is a previously viewed tape.

The moral?

Don't use your industry jargon in your marketing efforts... it just isn't smart. Oh, and the fate of that company? They are out of business now.