What Is a Slogan?
If you are not familiar with slogans or do not know where to start, the Merriam-Webster dictionary says that a slogan is a “brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion.” A good slogan will allow you to be recognized and will represent your business, its products, and its values even if the logo is missing. The slogan is to the ears what a logo is to the eyes. If we tell you “Because you’re worth it”, “Finger lickin’ good” or “Just do it”, you know we are talking about L’Oreal, KFC, and Nike. How can you find the perfect slogan for your business? First, you need to keep in mind your values and what message you want to convey.
What You Need to Keep in Mind While Looking for Your Slogan
As it is the case during your logo creation process, there are a few rules to follow to find the perfect logo for your business. Keep in mind that a good slogan must be short, simple, representative, honest, positive, and melodious.
Short
Do you know a lot of long slogans? Probably not. Most of the time, a slogan only consists of a few words (it is even suggested not to use more than 10 words). You then need to be both brief and precise if you want to catch people’s attention. Among the most popular short slogans, there are Nokia’s “Connecting people”, Skittles’ “Taste the rainbow” and Apple’s “Think Different”. Sometimes, two words can be sufficient to represent your business.
Simple
If you want people to remember your slogan, it needs to be simple. Your slogan must be related to your values. What is your domain? What do you sell? What message do you wish to convey? These questions should inspire you during the slogan creation process. You should also use simple terms and words to make sure everybody understands. For example, Campbell Soup’s slogan is “Mmm, mmm good!” It could not be clearer.
Representative
You are not looking for a slogan for another business, you are looking for a slogan for you, your business, and your values. It is then important that your slogan is representative of who you are if you want it to work. You must be your main inspiration. We can give you the example of De Beers’ slogan “A diamond is forever” as a representative one since it is a diamond mining and trading company.
Honest
You probably want your slogan to show the best part of your business; however, remember to stay honest and to avoid embellishing reality too much. Stay true, it will help you create a strong branding over time. It is what M&M with “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands” and the U.S. Postal Service with “We deliver” did.
Positive
When customers think about you, it must be in a positive way. Although negativity and provocation are more and more used to catch people’s attention, it is not something we recommend for your slogan. Be friendly and fun. You could target positive feelings like childhood memories or love to stand out too. It is what Coca Cola did with its “Open Happiness” campaign.
Melodious
You can have the most inspiring slogan or have chosen the most exact words to represent your business, people might not like it or remember it if it is not melodious. It is all because of the rhythm. Rhymes are often used to create something catchy like Bounty’s “The quicker picker-upper.” The best slogans also have the characteristic to create earworms. You probably know how to sing McDonald’s “I’m loving it” slogan, right?
In conclusion, it will be easier to find the best slogan for your business if you follow these rules. Start by making a list of all your characteristics, your products, and values and then think about the message you want to convey. What sets you apart from the competition? Who is your target? Make sure to use something unique to use with your logo in your website header!