The world is changing, and some of the clever methods of deriving catchy phrases to sell products back in the day need to change to reimagine the necessary elements of a good slogan today. Let’s take a look at what is working for the branding masters.
A common link associating the taglines of yesterday to modern marketplaces remains, “Yes,” slogans help to uplift the brand and should sustain their message long after you’ve read or heard their words.
If you are interested in how to create your best brand catchphrase, here are the common elements of a good slogan today
7 Elements of a Good Slogan Today
1. Representative
Your slogan must represent you, your company, your brand’s image in such a way as to reinforce your values and what you offer to the world.
Example: Disneyland, “The happiest place on Earth.”
2. Keyword Rich
This is a completely new concept, but as our world changes, so does the need to change the way we do business and encourage others to align with our brands. Include one or more keywords related to what you do that are not present in the name of your brand into your slogan. This gives you a digital advantage over other jingles.
Example: BuzzSumo, “Find the most shared content and key influencers”
3. Short and Sweet
Short, so that your brand’s slogan is less than 10 words in length because, in the best-case scenarios, people will be able to memorize it, recite it, and associate it with you and your brand. So, you can start with the best 30 words that describe (a) who you are, (b) what you do, and (c) how you do it (“representative”) and render it down to the sweetest phrase of 10 words or less.
Example: Walmart, “Save Money. Live Better.”
4. Establish Separation
There’s a good chance that you and your brand are not the only source of satisfaction of the needs of your potential clients or buyers, so use your slogan to separate your brand from anyone else who may be also vying for your target market. Ask yourself, what makes your brand different? Then include the answer on your slogan.
Example: BMW: “The ultimate driving machine.”
5. What’s In It for Me?
This is the only question your customer is asking, and you would be wise to include at least one main benefit that you know your customer wants in your brand’s keyphrase, and it should be the number one thing they want when they think of your product or service.
Example: MasterCard: “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”
6. Eternal
You want your catchphrase to linger on for generations unscathed by time or technology, so don’t tie it too closely to the resources at your disposal today, know that many things will change, and you and your brand’s intention is to survive the test of time. Do not limit your slogan to how we do it today when a shift in tech could change it forever, and your slogan will suddenly be outdated.
Bad Example: Verizon’s “Can you hear me now? Good.” The slogan was retired when the technology had advanced enough that quality of connection among providers was no longer an issue.
Good Example: De Beers: “A diamond is forever.”
7. Promotes Your Culture
Your brand should be able to connect so well to your customers that you become an extension of the way they want to live their lives. This is your brand’s culture. Done right; your customers will be waving flags with your slogan on them or tattooing your catchphrase on their bodies.
Example: Harley Davidson: Past, “Live to ride, ride to live.” and currently, “Screw it, let’s ride.”
And just in case you thought we were being too serious, you can take a seriousness-break and try out this Advertising Slogan Generator, just for fun.
© Excerpt from Branding Masters by David M Masters