BusinessWeek published an article this week with the 5 words you should never use in advertising.

1. Quality
2. Value
3. Service
4. Caring
5. Integrity

The article sites overuse as the primary reason for avoiding these descriptive words. Similar to billboards you'll see driving across country advertising the diner at the next exit which features "Good Food."

You have to ask "Good food? As opposed to BAD food?"

Or in the case of the five words sited: "Quality as opposed to junk?"

These five words don't really TELL us anything unique about our business. Although I don't use any of these five words in my primary message for my business, AllWrite Ink, I have been guilty of using these words on many occasions.

I guess I will be turning to the pages of my Synonym Finder for more creative missives.

Click here for the complete BusinessWeek article.

What words do you find are overused and thus have lost their luster?