‘WriteMark’ a reward for wiping out waffle

‘WriteMark’ a reward for wiping out waffle

A Wellington business writing company is launching the WriteMark, the country’s first quality mark for documents written to a high standard of plain English.

The WriteMark is the brainchild of Lynda Harris, owner of Write Group Limited, New Zealand’s leading plain English writing consultancy and training organisation.

Any document or webpage can be awarded a WriteMark once it has been checked by a WriteMark editor against a strict standard of clarity, grammar, and presentation.

“The WriteMark is not about ‘dumbing down’ written information. Rather, it is about rewarding companies and organisations for making a real effort to communicate in plain English,” says Lynda Harris.

“It is also about setting a benchmark. People often say they write in plain English, but there can be a huge discrepancy in the standard of documents.

“Too many public sector organisations, large corporations, and professional services firms continue to swamp their clients with long-winded and jargon-laden information. The easier a document is to read, the faster it can be understood and the less chance there is of confusion.

“WriteMark is encouraging organisations, big and small, to look at their public information and consider how it is presented and how easy it is to understand,” she says.

A company investing in the WriteMark can display the quality symbol on any document or web page that meets the standard.

Lynda Harris believes everyday use of plain English helps build trust and loyalty in an organisation which can lead to a better level of customer service and a competitive advantage.

“A similar campaign in Great Britain is supported by hundreds of private and public sector organisations committed to plain language. They recognise the need for a quality mark for all their public information,” she says.

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