I had no clue what I was going to blog about when I woke up earlier this morning. I’ve known about the impending deadline for a week. Still, when I sat down to work for the first time today, nothing came to mind. Writer’s block.

Finally, inspiration dawned on me. Hidden in an email exchange between a co-worker (and friend) and me, there it was, smiling cleverly.

Me: “…Get back to me with feedback.”

Co-worker: “I won't forget, short week, so f__n busy. All good.”

Me: “Did you really just type "f__n" though? It's okay, man. Let it out!”

Co-worker: “Sh__t! Did I misspell it?”

Classic response. It got me thinking.

What is the relationship between profanity and marketing? Between profanity and business in general? Are there times when profanity is acceptable, and further, actually encouraged?

First, let’s talk data. In a 2009 study by Timothy Jay, Professor of Psychology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, most individuals curse on average of 0.3% to 0.7% relative to one’s overall speech. That’s 1 out of every 200 words for those keeping score. Yeah, that’s more than I thought, too.

Now, let’s talk application. Profanity in advertising is probably more common than you know. Its use may be subtle in some cases. In London, for example, Burger King came under scrutiny for the use of “king” in some of their messaging. Here, too, in New York, Calvin Klein recently stirred controversy for its possible inclusion of an F-bomb in an ad. Pretty wild, right?

In other cases, the use of profanity to get a point across is more overt and intentional. Spirit airlines, for instance, in a move to leverage the blabbering of recently-convicted Illinois politician Rod Blagojevich, recently promoted that fares on their airline are so cheap, they’re “f-ing golden.” Even in politics, who can forget when Speaker of the House John Boehner recently told Republicans considering his debt ceiling plan to “Get [their] asses in line.”?

Yes, we curse more than we think, even in business. But is that a bad thing? Depends.

• The negative effects – Perhaps the most obvious negative effect of profanity is the liability associated with its use, a liability that outweighs the benefits in many circles. In some cases, cursing can be interpreted as a sign of immaturity, especially if the language is used excessively. If you consider the possibility for litigious outcomes, too, the use of profanity is even less attractive for fear that employers are being offensive, and in so doing, creating a hostile work environment.

• The positive effects – Many studies indicate that profanity can be incredibly galvanizing when used carefully. For instance, a 2006 study at Northern Illinois University found that orators who swore in their speeches scored higher in persuasion and perceived passion than those who didn’t. Further, swearing in a humorous way can often be a great tool for relieving stress and bringing a group together. Perhaps that’s why several leaders of the business, sports and political communities curse from time to time – they know the weight profanity carries when used sparingly and correctly. Anthony Robbins even, of public speaking fame, notes the positive effects that profanity can bring in the context of “mirroring” and building rapport with customers in his seminar, Unleash the Power Within.

So, what’s the answer? In the end, it shouldn’t surprise us that profanity exists in our society to the extent it does. What should interest us as marketing professionals, however, is how this trend might change given the changing media landscape. I’ll argue that, at least in the United States, we’re seeing more “controversial” imagery and hearing more provocative language today than ever before. Will social media affect the use of – and comfort with – profanity in the future? Will mobile marketing and “text speak?”

Whatever the answer, for now, while the use of profanity may be more common in our society and bring about real, positive effects, the costs still outweigh the benefits. I won’t say “never use profanity in business,” just be very careful. Be thoughtful. What do you think?

Btw, if you’ve finished reading and are now questioning the subtle use of profanity in the title of this blog entry, read again. The three punctuation marks I used as character substitutes stand for the letters “rea,” spelling the word “freaking.” What did you think I was trying to say?