Let’s play a game. Can you match the company to the slogan?
If you’re like most people, you aced this. Why? Because the slogans above have been ingrained into our minds, simply by being branded with the company’s name. Whether or not you’re actually “Lovin’ It,” you know it’s Mickey D’s.
How do you create an eye-catching, easy-to-say, easy-to-read slogan? Without writing one for you (though we could) here is our best advice for creating memorable slogans.
Make it meaningful. Use words that directly relate to your company’s core values, and keep out words that don’t accurately represent your mission. Don’t use words just because they sound “cool” – you want people to make the association between your company and its tagline!
Don’t be cliché. Stay away from overly used factory slogans, like “Serving You Since __________.” We love that you’ve been in business for 20 years, but that doesn’t tell us what you do. At JP Marketing, our slogan reads “Empowering Family-Owned Businesses Since 1994.” We’re proud of our 20-year history, but we can’t forget the family businesses that made it happen.
Leave out negative language. Using words in your slogans such as not, nobody or never put people in a negative state of mind. It’s exclusive language – making one feel they are not part of something larger – like your company. There are ways around this one, but if you’re unsure, just say no!
Appeal to Self-Interest. How does your company serve its clients? How can you make their life easier? Highlight these factors in your slogan. People search for their problems, not your solutions. Appealing to a person’s self-interest (or laziness) is the quickest way to make them a consumer.
Keep it short. The general rule is to never let a slogan be longer eight words. This isn’t concrete, but it’s a good place to start. Think back to the little game we played at the beginning of this blog. The best and most easily recalled slogans are between four and six words long. Except for Geico, which probably remains memorable thanks to an Australian reptile.
Think about your advertising. How will people see your slogan? What will it look like on a billboard? A business card? The choices you make when creating your slogan will matter – whether people are seeing it on Facebook or a coffee mug.
So now that we’ve given you our advice, are you ready to create a slogan?
