October
AugustJunk the jargon
We’re constantly hearing about racing’s need to preach to the unconverted, but I’m not sure all our frontline communicators have got the memo.
Racing is possibly the most jargon-riddled sport in the world, which is quite understandable.
In many arenas of life, the use of jargon that only insiders understand gives the user a comforting feeling of belonging.
Conversely, however, jargon has the effect of making outsiders feel they don’t belong, which is hardly ideal for a product whose existing market is largely old, white, male and dying off.
And yet so much racing media (not to mention corporate bookmakers’ advertising) comes off as an extended in-joke aimed at Aussie male yobs in their 30s and up.
Drooling munters mumbling such meaningless expressions as “benchmark spike” and “no match winner” aren’t going to entice many Millennials to put their hand in their pocket.
And while it’s clearly too much to ask jockeys and trainers to talk in metres rather than miles and furlongs — in fairness, they’ve only had 45 years to get used to it — there’s no reason why media people (many of them in the employ of the industry itself) should commit the same offence against the 21st century.
Cremorne (Vic)