The Appeal of Alliteration

I'm on the second leg of my media tour now, (just in Dallas and Salt Lake City and on my way to Minneapolis) and had the privilege of seeing 94 years young (or as he puts it - "the 50th anniversary of my 44th year") Art Linkletter in action.

We were both speaking at Mark Victor Hansen's Mega-Speaking Empire event in Southern California. My presentation was on "Are You a One-of-a-Kind Speaker?" and Art shared some of the fascinating highlights of his life, including some of his favorite quips from "Kids Say the Darndest Things."

We all laughed out loud at the little boy who, when asked if his dog had a pedigree, replied, "He used to, but we cut it off." Ouch.

Art talked about his books Hobo on His Way to Heaven (insights on how a poor kid grew up to know kings, queens, and presidents), Drugs on My Doorstep (his plea to do something about rampant use of drugs after his daughter jumped to her death while on LSD), and Living Better Longer - Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life (tips on how to stay vital - Art only quit skiing last year because his 90 year old wife was afraid he'd get wiped out by wild snowboarders - in your 70's and beyond.)

Please notice the use of alliteration (words that start with the same sound)in his titles. Hear how it creates a pleasing ear music?

Say these words out loud.

Dunkin Croissants.

King Gorilla.

Rolls Jaguar.

Bed, Toilet, and Shower.

Those words sound kind of clunky, don't they?

Now say, Dunkin Donuts, King Kong, Rolls Royce and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Hear how those words fit together? That's the impact of alliteration. It makes your language lyrical, gives the mind a hook on which to hang a memory, and has the potential to transform something generic into something genius.

For example, did you know that cardboard insulating sleeve you put around your cup of coffee in the morning is actually a multi-million dollar business? Why? Innovator Jay Sorenson gave that common product a catchy name - Java Jacket.

Can you use alliteration when naming your creations? It just might help your product POP! off the shelf.

Want more ideas on how to title your idea or invention so it gets noticed and bought? POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd has been named one of the best business books of the year and has been featured recently on KRON TV in San Francisco, KTLA in Los Angeles, CBS NewsRadio, and WGN from Chicago.

Visit www.SamHornPOP.com to see if I'm presenting a public seminar in your city, or call Cheri Grimm at 805 528-4351 to arrange an interview for your TV show, radio program, or newspaper/magazine.