The slogan is bar-none, one fo the most difficult things any marketer can pull off. Nike’s “Just do it’ is perhaps one the most famous of all branding slogan, next perhap to “What happens here, stays here” made famous by that oh-so-sinful-city we all love to hate so much.
The toughest part about creating a great slogan is making it snappy enough to grab one’s attention, while also creating something that puts the customer’s mind into the core of your company’s core proposition.They can be funny, heart-warming, even sad in the right context.
One thing a slogan definitely needs to be is memorable. If whatever you come up with doesn’t have that quality, you definitely need to rehit the drawing board — don’t put that big order through to the print and copy place just yet!
Before I start naming off some great examples, let’s learn more about the almighty branding slogan. What it is and what makes one so great.
What is a Slogan?
Slogans are, at their core, a mission statement for your company. Look at the Dollar Shave Club and their “Shave time, shave money” slogan. What characteristics would you attribute to the service after hearing that
In many ways, they’re like mini mission statements. If you and your team pull it off, sales will start rocking in day and night. If you don’t, the buying public will be confused, offended, or downright disgusted.
If you’re interested in learning just how bad a slogan can really be, check out this PG-13 rated post from Buzzfeed (#4 is a particularly disturbing slant on a snack food with racist overtones written all over it!)
A slogan is as much a verbal representation of your brand as it is a visual. Looking at Nike and all the branding genius they’ve put out over the years, think for a second how many people directly relate their logo to their slogan. The two are synonomous with eachother and a key differentiator of the brand in the public eye. The swoosh wouldn’t be as memorable without the “Just do it.”
Tips for Creating an Awesome Slogan
Make it easy to digest (Like Capital One’s “What’s in your wallet?”)
Slogans need to be simple catchphrases that grab people immediately and get your message across quickly. The accepted rule of thumb with regard to the length of a slogan is no more than 10 words. Obviously, that’s much longer than pretty much every single brand out there that has a noteworthy slogan. Keep it short, keeping in mind that every bit of your marketing material will one day include those words.
Slogans should sell benefits, not features (Like M&M’s “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”)
People will find the benefits in due time, when they start associating with the best feature your brand can offer. “King of the grill.” Sell the sizzle first and they won’t be able to resist the steak!
Slogans need to differentiate you from the competition (Like BMW’s “The ultimate driving machine.”)
Check out the slogan for Argentina tourism below. How does it make you feel? Kinda like Argentina is a place where you can do whatever your heart desires, or something like that. Right? Considering how many popular tourist destinations there are in the world, Argentina sure found a clear and concise way to differentiate themselves here.
The message your slogan conveys needs to be positive (Like Dunkin’ Donuts’s “America runs on Dunkin.”)
If you read the article I linked to showing some really terrible slogans, it should be obvious by now that your message needs to be overwhelmingly positive. Also, there’s no room for the subjective, so make sure to beta test your slogan before making an official (and largely permanent release to the public.)
What’s your favorite slogan? Does it follow the rules listed above, or have you found a way to break the rules and still put out a great slogan?
Main Image Credit: Warren Stuart/Flickr
