Brands over time

SMARTY
over time

Every year keeps its colour across every chart.│ ChatGPT, 30 Nov 2022

183 of SMARTY's own blog posts, press releases and announcements, 2019 to 2026, measured sentence by sentence, 53 of them recovered from the Internet Archive. How the writing has moved over the years, how it compares with 14 other mobile and broadband providers, and what it sounds like in its own words.

Pages measured
183
Years covered
2019–26
Archived before ChatGPT
53
Blog · press
183 · 0

01 · Homepage

One capture a year

SMARTY's homepage from 2018 to 2026, closest to 1 July, from the Internet Archive. Pick a year or press play. Each headline is quoted from its capture and links to the archived copy.

2026smarty.co.uk27 Jun 2026
SMARTY homepage, 27 Jun 2026

Screenshot of SMARTY’s homepage (smarty.co.uk) as archived by the Internet Archive on 27 Jun 2026. © SMARTY or its licensors. Shown for comparison and review; not endorsed by SMARTY.

Homepage

2026

“Great value SIM only plans”

Page title

Simple, honest mobile | SMARTY

Open on the Internet Archive
  1. 2018Getting credit back for unused data, that's SMARTY
  2. 2020Our data all day long SIM plan
  3. 2021All the data you need for less
  4. 2023WE KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
  5. 202450GB for £8. More than triple the data.
  6. 2026Great value SIM only plans

9 captures. Screenshots are rendered from the archive and can pull in images archived later than the page itself; dates come from the capture. Years without a capture are greyed out in the strip.

02 · Measures by year

How the writing moved

Every year’s pages, averaged. Pick a measure. Hatched bars rest on fewer than 10 pages: context, not a finding. The page count sits under each year.

Sentence lengthAverage words per sentence.
6
12
18
Telecoms avg 13.2
12.0
14.2
12.6
12.1
16.8
14.5
12.9
12.8
ChatGPT · Nov 2022
2015no pages
2016no pages
2017no pages
2018no pages
201925 pp
202029 pp
202123 pp
202216 pp
202313 pp
20245 pp
20254 pp
20261 pp
10 or more pagesFewer than 10 pages: context, not a findingSector averageChatGPT released
Show as a table
YearSentence lengthPages
201912.025
202014.229
202112.623
202212.116
202316.813
202414.55
202512.94
202612.81

Years with pages: 2019 (25), 2020 (29), 2021 (23), 2022 (16), 2023 (13), 2024 (5), 2025 (4), 2026 (1). Dates come from page metadata, structured data, the URL, or the month a page was first archived (a latest possible date).

03 · Before and after

2019 to Nov 2022 against 2024 to 2026

The same measures on 92 pages from before ChatGPT launched and 10 pages from 2024 on. A change here is a change in style. It does not show how any page was written: people used every one of these words and shapes long before 2022, and SGR-011 found most of the shift across brands was a trend already under way.

Measure2019 to Nov 2022 · 92 pp2024 to 2026 · 10 ppChange
Sentence length
12.813.7+7%
Sentence rhythm
0.710.60−15%
Contractions
26.221.6−18%
"You"
80%79%−1 pts
"We"
19%19%−0 pts
Questions
5.33.6−31%
Exclamations
1.592.75+73%
Long words
17%22%+5 pts
Em dashes
4.832.74−43%
AI-associated words
0.472.01+324%
AI-era marketing words
0.341.88+455%
Quieter LLM-favoured words
0.162.63+1588%
AI-associated sentence shapes
0.330.57+71%
Page length
461605+31%

Each row is scaled to its own larger value, so rows compare within themselves, not with each other. Before = 2019 to Nov 2022 (92 pages); after = 2024 to 2026 (10 pages). Method: SGR-011.

04 · Against its sector

SMARTY among mobile and broadband providers

Each dot is one brand’s mean across all its measured pages; the tick is the sector average. Only brands with 10 or more measured pages are shown or counted. Select a dot to open that brand.

  1. Em dashes

    82% more than its sector

    4.72 against a sector average of 2.59; highest of 13.

  2. "We"

    47% less than its sector

    18% against a sector average of 34%; 2nd lowest of 13.

  3. "You"

    33% more than its sector

    80% against a sector average of 60%; 2nd highest of 13.

Sentence lengthMid-table, 6th of 13
SMARTY 13.6
9.716.5
Contractions2nd highest of 13
SMARTY 24.1
12.725.2
"You"2nd highest of 13
SMARTY 80%
30%84%
"We"2nd lowest of 13
SMARTY 18%
14%57%
Questions4th highest of 13
SMARTY 5.4
0.97.0
Long wordsLowest of 13
SMARTY 19%
19%31%
Em dashesHighest of 13
SMARTY 4.72
0.974.72
AI-associated words2nd lowest of 13
SMARTY 0.73
0.462.88
ExclamationsHighest of 13
SMARTY 2.28
0.162.28
Page lengthLowest of 13
SMARTY 511
5111,910

Pages measured: TalkTalk 74 · Hyperoptic 46 · Community Fibre 133 · SMARTY 183 · iD Mobile 49 · Lebara 0 · Lycamobile 112 · O2 138 · Zen Internet 186 · BT 9 · Sky 324 · Virgin Media 185 · Vodafone 172 · Three 141 · giffgaff 63. Measures and method: SGR-010; the brand list and sectors come from SGR-009.

05 · Vocabulary

Words SMARTY uses more than its peers

The words this brand reaches for more often than the rest of its sector. This is subject matter more than voice.

money25.9 vs 5.2
lockdown10.8 vs 1.1
flights7.1 vs 0.4
recipes5.3 vs 0.2
cooking5.3 vs 0.2
gym5.1 vs 0.1
holiday10.6 vs 1.6
unlimited31.9 vs 9.7
easter5.1 vs 0.0
honest5.7 vs 0.5
SMARTYSector peers

Uses per 10,000 words, ranked by weighted log-odds (Monroe et al. 2008) across 183 pages. Checked for product names and page furniture.

06 · In its own words

What it sounded like

Openings of real pages, quoted word for word, oldest first. Each links to the page, or to the Internet Archive’s copy when it has gone.

2019 · Blog
“At SMARTY we're on a mission to make mobile simple and honest. One of the ways we track that is through independent recognition and reviews. So, it makes us really proud to say that SMARTY won Best PAYG Network and Best Value SIM Only in the uSwitch Broadband and Mobile Awards 2019.”
SMARTY blog
202014 Feb · BlogArchived copy
“When it comes to booking a holiday for the whole family, things can get pricey! So, here are a few tips on how to find school holiday deals that’ll save you time and money.”
SMARTY blog
20217 Jan · BlogArchived copy
“With schools closed once again and remote learning back on the cards, we believe now, more than ever, children need to have access to connectivity.”
SMARTY blog
202214 Dec · Blog
“We’re really happy to announce the launch of the new SMARTY Community, an online resource where customers can interact with each other, ask questions, get answers and learn more about our connected world, not just from highly informed tech-heads but from members of the public.”
SMARTY blog
202320 Feb · Blog
“We know the world is a complicated place, full of needless complexity. So, at SMARTY we strive to keep things simple and honest – no matter what we do, we’ll always ask, is there a simpler way?”
SMARTY blog
202516 Jan · Blog
“January is the time for fresh starts – and for many of us, that means tackling the "financial hangover" from the festive season. With 55% of Brits planning to cut expenses this month, it’s clear that getting financially fit is a top priority for 2025.”
SMARTY blog

07 · Every page

All 186 pages, by year

The full list behind every number above, with links to the live page or the archived copy. 183 count towards the measures; the rest were not measured (1 mostly short lines (lists, tables, link pages) rather than prose, 2 under 150 words of text). Pages with no reliable date count in the overall numbers but in no year.

20261 page
20254 pages
20245 pages
202313 pages
202216 pages
202123 pages
202029 pages
201925 pages
In the overall numbers, no year67 pages
  • SMARTY blog31 May 2020 · blog · 510 wordsDate only from the page text, not metadata, URL or archive capture: in the overall numbers, not placed in a year
  • SMARTY blog3 Jun 2009 · blog · 1,152 wordsDate only from the page text, not metadata, URL or archive capture: in the overall numbers, not placed in a year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 426 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 998 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 247 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 392 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 549 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 565 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 937 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 493 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 381 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 594 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 496 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 565 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 478 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 758 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 293 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 663 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 430 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 409 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 254 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 247 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 653 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 326 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 595 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 623 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 613 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 459 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 574 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 1,167 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 340 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 499 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 1,414 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 452 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 261 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 453 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 596 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 410 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 438 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 567 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 412 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 278 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 222 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 609 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 612 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 668 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 489 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 486 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 392 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 697 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 631 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 501 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 503 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 470 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 288 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 339 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 337 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 513 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 447 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 543 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 600 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 219 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 346 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 754 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 325 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 348 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
  • SMARTY blogundated · blog · 668 wordsNo date found: in the overall numbers, not in any year
Not measured3 pages
  • SMARTY blog31 Aug 2021 · blog · 143 wordsUnder 150 words of text: too short to measure
  • SMARTY blog7 Oct 2020 · blog · 137 words · archivedUnder 150 words of text: too short to measure
  • SMARTY blog3 Apr 2020 · blog · 189 words · archivedMostly short lines (lists, tables, link pages) rather than prose

08 · Method

How this was measured

The pages

SMARTY's own blog posts, press releases and announcements, fetched from the live site in 2026 and from the Internet Archive for 2015 to November 2022. Homepages are shown as captures; product and help pages are not measured.

The measures

Code counts from ScriptGrain’s writing instruments: sentence length and rhythm, contractions, pronouns, punctuation, long words, and three published lists of AI-associated words. No AI model reads or judges any page.

What it cannot say

These measures describe style. They cannot tell who or what wrote a page, and nothing here says or implies that any brand used AI to write.

Sample sizes

Every number carries its page count. Years under 10 pages, and before-and-after comparisons with under 10 pages on a side, are shown as context only.

Sentence length
Average words per sentence.
Sentence rhythm
How much sentence length varies (standard deviation over mean). Higher reads less even.
Contractions
Contractions (we're, you'll, it's) per 1,000 words. A rough gauge of how conversational the writing is.
"You"
Share of I/we/you pronouns that are "you": how much the writing addresses the reader.
"We"
Share of I/we/you pronouns that are "we": how much the writing talks about the organisation.
Questions
Question marks per 1,000 words.
Exclamations
Exclamation marks per 1,000 words.
Long words
Share of words with seven or more letters.
Em dashes
Em dashes per 1,000 words.
AI-associated words
Words from SGR-007's three AI-associated lists, per 1,000 words. These are style markers that people used long before ChatGPT; a higher rate says nothing about who or what wrote the page.
AI-era marketing words
Marketing words that became more common in AI-era copy (seamless, elevate, unlock...), per 1,000 words. A style measure only.
Quieter LLM-favoured words
Everyday words language models are known to over-use, per 1,000 words. A style measure only.
AI-associated sentence shapes
Sentence patterns such as "not just X, but Y", found by ScriptGrain's cliche checker, per 1,000 words. A style measure only.
Page length
Average words per page.

Studies: SGR-009: Do brands in the same sector sound the same? · SGR-010: How UK brands write · SGR-011: Did brand writing change after ChatGPT?.