Friday, April 24, 2009

I'm going to do it...finally

When I first started blogging, I said I was going to publicly recognize Web sites that place a premium on clarity. No buzz; no pretension; no coining of ugly, meaningless words. Just simple business stories told simply and precisely.

So today, I unveil the first winner of the Claritant Award.

The clearest Web site for the insurance industry is State Farm. Here's the company's mission statement:

"State Farm's mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams."

Beautiful. Not a buzzword to be found. No gobbledygook phrases. No bull. And the whole site is like that.

Thank you, State Farm. Whoever produced that writing deserves kudos and a raise. It sets you apart. Although many insurance companies do a nice job, including runner-up Liberty Mutual, some don't. I'm not going to tell you who they are. But you'll know them when you see them.

If you come across a Web site you think is especially clear and direct, let me know about it. It might win the Claritant. The business won't care, but it makes me feel better to recognize good writing in my own small way.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a tiny bit of fear you were going to call it the Clari-Net awards. It would not have been a song to my ears. There are a few good websites out there, but finding a jargon-free, buzzword-free one will be challenging. Keep holding out for simple words, well arranged!

gretchen said...

Clari-Net. That's funny. Didn't think of it. Was going to call it the Claritas, but there's a company called that, and I thought they might object.

Ever onward in the pursuit of clarity and plain talk. I don't think business realizes how much all this lack of clarity really costs them in terms of customer good will, time, and money.

Thanks for the comments.

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