Press releases have a language problem. Open almost any one published in the last decade and you will find the same tired phrases recycled endlessly. “Pleased to announce.” “Excited to share.” “Proud to introduce.” These expressions were never particularly powerful, and by now they have lost whatever impact they once had.
The good news is that better language is always available. Choosing it just requires a little more intention.
Why Clichéd Phrasing Hurts Your Message
When readers encounter a phrase they have seen hundreds of times, they stop processing it. The words register but carry no meaning. This is a serious problem for any organisation trying to cut through in a crowded media environment, because the opening lines of a press release determine whether a journalist reads on or moves to the next pitch in their inbox.
Overused language also signals a lack of effort. It tells the reader that no one stopped to consider whether these words actually fit the news being shared. That impression, fair or not, extends to the announcement itself.
What to Do Instead
The fix is not to replace one set of clichés with another. It is to write more specifically. Instead of announcing that a company is “pleased to share exciting news,” lead with the news itself. State what happened, why it matters, and who it affects — in plain, direct language.
Compare these two openings:
“We are pleased to announce the launch of our new platform, which will help businesses streamline their operations.”
versus
“Businesses can now cut onboarding time by half with a new platform built for teams that move fast.”
The second version is specific, concrete, and gives the reader a reason to care immediately.
The Language of Brand Statements
Brand statements carry a different challenge. Where press releases are news-driven, brand statements are meant to convey identity and values. Yet they often fall into the same traps: vague claims of being “committed to excellence,” “passionate about innovation,” or “dedicated to making a difference.”
These phrases are not just overused — they are unverifiable. Any company can claim passion or commitment. What makes a brand statement land is specificity and honesty. What does the company actually do? Who does it serve? What makes its approach genuinely different?
A well-positioned PR agency understands that the most credible brand language sounds like something only that particular organisation could say, not a line that could be dropped into any company’s About page without anyone noticing.
Words That Earn Attention
Certain language choices consistently outperform the defaults. Active verbs carry more weight than passive constructions. Numbers and specifics create credibility that adjectives never can. Short sentences move faster. And the most important test for any piece of writing — does this actually tell me something? — is worth applying to every line before it goes out.
A communications agency working on behalf of a brand should be asking this question constantly. If the language could have been written by anyone, for any client, it is probably not working hard enough.
Making the Change
The shift to fresher language does not require a complete overhaul of how your team writes. It starts with a habit: reading back every announcement and statement with the question, “would a journalist or customer find anything here worth their time?”
If the answer is no, the language is doing its job poorly. And the solution, almost always, is to cut the pleasantries, get specific, and say what you actually mean.
The words exist. They just need someone willing to look for them.
