"Leading" Contest

I am weary of wading through press releases that describe the company as "leading." (Some may say, "Stop wading, Ralph." I can't, because I make money from interpreting press releases. However, when companies obfuscate, I stop wading and start wadding their press releases.)

I wish to announce a contest. Which company can pack the most amount of words after it describes itself as leading? Here are examples:

Idiom Technologies is the winner so far by managing to run 12 words after "leading":

"...the leading independent provider of scalable software solutions for accelerating and optimizing globalization initiatives..."

Avatech Solutions manages only 8 words, but squeezes in a double leading for an overall total of 19 words:

"...the nation's leading provider of design, engineering, and facilities management solutions, and RCMS Group, a leading provider of design production services to architecture, engineering, and construction firms..."

UGS calls itself leading, but not its partner. Is it impolite to not confer the status of "leading" upon another? Or perhaps it is a sign of humbleness: "We are leading, yet we agree to be publicly associated with a firm that isn't leading." Or perhaps, "We are leading, but we choose to use just 9 words as a sign of our humility."

"...a leading global provider of product lifecycle management software and services, and Vertex Systems of Tampere, Finland, today announced..."

And it's not clear if hyphenated words should count as one or two words. ASCON Group rates as either an 8 or a 9:

"...the leading developer of software solutions for mechanical computer-aided design..."

Finally, I want to express my appreciation to PPTminimizer of Germany who start off their press release this CLEARLY:

"PPTminimizer reduces PowerPoint presentations in seconds by up to 96% of their initial size."

What is SO WRONG with writing clear press releases????????

Comments

[Matt]

Ralph,

I can't tell if you're really trying to compare the PR pieces at the top, with the PPTminimizer product description at the bottom...

Obviously the top pieces are trying to tell people who are not familiar with Idiom (et al), WHO THEIR COMPANY IS...

So is your argument that they shouldn't bother positioning who they are? or that they all use the over-used "Leading" word?