Using "plain language" to build a brand

May, 2003

by Susan Milne

Susan Milne is a clear language consultant with Sun Life Financial in Waterloo Ontario. She has a Master of Adult Education degree from the University of Toronto, and is the current chair of Plain Language International. Susan has been a champion of plain language throughout her career, including teaching at the secondary school and college level, and as an internal consultant to several large financial services companies.

What is "plain language?"
Plain language is language that everyone in your audience can easily understand. It's a growing international movement with roots in health and financial education, legal drafting, and forms and statements.

Today's demand for plain language is driven by consumers who increasingly realize they have the right to understand information from governments, health professionals, financial institutions and legal firms. Regulators (although not all, yet) see a legal and moral obligation to the public. In many ways, practicing plain language is the "right thing" to do. Its absence contributes to business disasters like Enron and WorldCom.

Plain language can also be used as a branding tool. This article describes how a financial services company introduced plain language over a three-year period to support a brand built on clarity and dialogue [Note: the company, Clarica, was purchased by Sun Life Financial in 2003. The Clarica brand continues in Canada.]

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