RIP! B2B Thought Leadership Association Puts Moratorium on New Acronyms
The B2B Thought Leadership Association (B2BTLA) just announced a new ruling that temporarily prohibs companies and thought leaders from introducing new acronyms after EOY 2024.
“FWIW, the past few years have resulted in a large influx of new corporate acronyms and people can’t keep up with them,” explains Dan Little, executive director and chief SME of B2BTLA. “MoM growth of acronym use is at an all-time high.”
The cause of the recent uptick in excessive acronym usage (EAU) is unknown. One theory is that more companies and thought leaders have experienced FOMO, so they began inventing acronyms to participate in industry conversations.
“Every conference, blog, podcast, LinkedIn post…it feels like you have to BYO acronym,” says B2BTLA chairwoman, Robbie Robinson. “Consumers are getting tired of it. They want to know WIIFM.”
However, some B2B industry newcomers, like Ervin Hunt, argue that the ROI on new acronyms is worth the initial confusion they might cause.
“It’s a competitive market out there. IMO you have to do what you can to stand out,” says Hunt. He then added: “YOLO.”
What do businesses need to know before the moratorium takes effect? Time is running out. If you want to introduce acronyms to B2B after December 31st, you’re SOL — any new acronyms will be considered DOA.
“We need to take action ASAP before the situation is FUBAR,” concludes Little.
