--- title: Time to Eliminate Toxic Military Metaphors in Communications description: The language of war is used in business and the media so frequently that people don’t even question the appropriateness. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Toy%20soldier%20shuttertock.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/time-to-eliminate-toxic-military-metaphors-in-communications#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Time to Eliminate Toxic Military Metaphors in Communications May 18th, 2021 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toy%20soldier%20shuttertock.jpg?width=1586&height=1049&name=Toy%20soldier%20shuttertock.jpg) The language of war is used in business and the media so frequently that people don’t even question the appropriateness. Let's work together to eliminate these old tropes from the way we communicate. SALES: When I was a salesperson at B2B technology companies several decades ago, we typically talked as if we were going to battle with the customer. We had sales "targets" and when we had a hot one, we sometimes brought out the “big guns” (the VPs) to help us close a deal, to score a “victory”. A potential customer is not the enemy. Using such language implies hostility and an adversarial relationship with customers which isn't the best way to do business. MARKETING: In the marketing world, we create “campaigns” and “attack a market”. Sometimes we kick up a “social media fire storm”. There are many other ways to market than a combative approach. Kinder and gentler works wonders. ![War poster](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/War%20poster.jpg?width=350&name=War%20poster.jpg)POLITICS: “We are at war with COVID-19,” seemed to come from every politician’s mouth in the past year. Yes, the virus is a public health crisis. However, unlike the way we typically think of war, will not suddenly “win” over the pandemic. The influenza virus, for example, has been with us for centuries. Since the late 1800s, large outbreaks of influenza strains have occurred every few decades. JOURNALISM: When covering the political world, leaders are “fighting for constituents” and sometimes become “embattled”. They “fire warning shots” from their “bunkers”. Journalists use these military metaphors all the time in their political stories. When politics is constantly described as war, it means a toxic, polarizing approach from our leaders is acceptable. It’s not. Like the use of flexible, scalable, cutting-edge, best-of-breed [gobbledygook](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2006/10/the_gobbledygoo.html), military metaphors come from lazy communicators. Let’s work together to eliminate this nonsense. [![New Rules of Marketing and PR](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/112bb6d7-07dd-4985-b988-211b5008fd39.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/112bb6d7-07dd-4985-b988-211b5008fd39) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ New Rules of Marketing and PR ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/new-rules-of-marketing-and-pr) [ writing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/writing) [ copywriting ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/copywriting) [ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing) [ Advertising ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/advertising) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pirated%20books.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Pirated%20books.jpg) ### Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI March 26th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/move-fast-and-steal-things-meta-pirated-53-of-my-books-and-stories-to-train-their-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toyota%20website.jpg?width=1253&height=822&name=Toyota%20website.jpg) ### Automaker Website Frustrations Push Buyers Elsewhere December 10th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/automaker-website-frustrations-push-buyers-elsewhere) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg) ### Please Do Not Play Without Permission November 12th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/please-do-not-play-without-permission) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg?width=1338&height=886&name=Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg) ### Generative AI Not Understood By Young People… Educators Are To Blame July 9th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/generative-ai-not-understood-by-young-people-educators-are-to-blame) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg?width=1500&height=845&name=Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg) ### Apple’s Soul Crushing, Creator Destroying Metaphor for what AI is Doing to Society May 8th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apples-soul-crushing-creator-destroying-metaphor-for-what-ai-is-doing-to-society) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_126631127.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=shutterstock_126631127.jpg) ### Customer Testimonials Are Not Effective Storytelling March 26th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/customer-testimonials-are-not-effective-storytelling) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg?width=1000&height=670&name=we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg) ### We Annoy Our Customers March 5th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/we-annoy-our-customers) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg?width=1000&height=628&name=shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg) ### Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies December 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/legal-caution-vs.-pr-clarity-university-presidents-legal-advisors-muddled-congressional-testimonies-on-antisemitism) [![Man holding a tablet computer with tip options](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2328873613.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=shutterstock_2328873613.jpg) ### Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should October 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/just-because-you-can-doesnt-mean-you-should) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/max%20logo%20win.jpg?width=925&height=621&name=max%20logo%20win.jpg) ### Max Mayhem: Warner Bros. Discovery's Rebrand Fail April 21st, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/max-mayhem-warner-bros.-discoverys-rebrand-fail) [![T-shirts and ball caps with letter F for fandom](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/fandom.jpg?width=1974&height=1256&name=fandom.jpg) ### Every Customer Touchpoint Is A Way To Build Fans (Or Not) November 16th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/every-customer-touchpoint-is-a-way-to-build-fans-or-not) [![Photo of somebody using the LinkedIn app on a smartphone](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn.jpg?width=1500&height=995&name=LinkedIn.jpg) ### Why Salespeople’s LinkedIn Profiles Don’t Sell October 5th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/why-most-salespeoples-linkedin-profiles-stink) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Summer%20Sale.jpg?width=2456&height=1652&name=Summer%20Sale.jpg) ### A Focus On Product Alone Results In A Race To The Bottom August 16th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/a-focus-on-product-alone-results-in-a-race-to-the-bottom) [![subject line of an email from Citibank](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_1554045272.jpg?width=1500&height=928&name=shutterstock_1554045272.jpg) ### Branding Gone Amok™ August 9th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/branding-gone-amok) [![Ticketmaster lusting for Bruce Spreensteen tickets](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Springsteen%20tix%20after.jpg?width=2132&height=1638&name=Springsteen%20tix%20after.jpg) ### Bruce Springsteen and Ticketmaster Anger Fans with AI Dynamic Pricing Fiasco July 25th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bruce-springsteen-and-ticketmaster-anger-fans-with-ai-dynamic-pricing-fiasco) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/nobody%20cares.jpg?width=1135&height=635&name=nobody%20cares.jpg) ### Back to the Basics: Nobody Cares About Your Products (Except You) January 31st, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/back-to-the-basics-nobody-cares-about-your-products-except-you) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gobbledygook%20manifesto.jpg?width=1628&height=1184&name=Gobbledygook%20manifesto.jpg) ### Two Super Simple Actions You Can Do Right Now to Create Fans of Your Business January 18th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/two-super-simple-actions-you-can-do-right-now-to-create-fans-of-your-business) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/email%20spam%20shutterstock_172545959.jpg) ### Non-Targeted Broadcast Public Relations Pitches Are Spam November 18th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/non-targeted-broadcast-public-relations-pitches-are-spam) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Facebook%20Anger.jpg) ### Your Own Content to Educate Instead of Spreading Hatred Through Facebook November 3rd, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-own-content-to-educate-instead-of-spreading-hatred-through-facebook) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Merch%20table.jpg) ### Real and Perceived Scarcity as a Marketing Strategy October 26th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/real-and-perceived-scarcity-as-a-marketing-strategy) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/LinkedIn%20messaging.jpg) ### On LinkedIn, Educate and Inform Instead of Interrupt and Sell September 21st, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/on-linkedin-educate-and-inform-instead-of-interrupt-and-sell) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/junk%20mail.jpg) ### Sorry, no, I am not your colleague September 3rd, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/sorry-no-i-am-not-your-colleague) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Made%20by%20We.jpg) ### When Fandom Turns Into a Cult August 25th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/when-fandom-turns-into-a-cult) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/An%20Ugly%20Truth%20cover.jpg) ### An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination July 14th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/an-ugly-truth-inside-facebooks-battle-for-domination) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-13T16:50:41.738Z", "datePublished" : "2021-05-18T19:44:50.000Z", "headline" : "Time to Eliminate Toxic Military Metaphors in Communications", "image" : [ "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Toy%20soldier%20shuttertock.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/time-to-eliminate-toxic-military-metaphors-in-communications", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.", "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com", "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg", "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ], "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ], "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ], "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}" } }, "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateCreated" : "2021-05-17T19:49:03", "datePublished" : "2021-05-18T15:44:50-0400", "description" : "The language of war is used in business and the media so frequently that people don’t even question the appropriateness.", "headline" : "Time to Eliminate Toxic Military Metaphors in Communications", "image" : [ "https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/413105/Toy%20soldier%20shuttertock.jpg" ], "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : [ "Worst Practices", "New Rules of Marketing and PR", "writing", "copywriting", "Marketing", "Advertising" ], "learningResourceType" : "article", "name" : "Time to Eliminate Toxic Military Metaphors in Communications", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC" }, "timeRequired" : "1 minutes", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/time-to-eliminate-toxic-military-metaphors-in-communications" } ```