By The Letter

Just say the word--or words, as the case may be. It's that simple. Or at least that's what businesses are discovering as products as disparate as Magnetic Poetry for the refrigerator and jewelry strung together with lettered beads are being snapped up by communication-conscious consumers.

Who can explain this collective impulse to make a statement with such seemingly innocuous household items as, say, throw pillows? Why do folks need words on photo frames when a picture is supposedly worth a thousand of them already? Well, if we had to guess, we'd say it stems from a desire to stand out from the crowd--to proclaim one's identity, if you will. As for businesses, it's a chance to get a word--er, leg--up on the competition.

This article was originally published in the October 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: By The Letter.