What makes a great business slogan? 5 steps to more effective and timeless brand slogan writing

Your slogan is more than just your brand identity, it’s your brand’s promise to your customers. A memorable & recognizable slogan can help you stand out from competitors and be a point of differentiation for your business.  So, while it’s easy to see how brand slogan writing is an important part of branding, crafting one that’s effective and yet always stands for your company values can be tricky.

Why are slogans so important in branding?

Brand slogans are important because they serve as a simplified way for customers to remember and identify a business. They help the consumer to obtain essential information at a glance. A well-crafted slogan can immediately draw in the target audience who shares the same values.

They can also be helpful by creating an emotional connection with customers. Brand slogans can reach out to the target audience needs and problems, or create a rallying cry for consumers. Which then helps by leading to customer loyalty.

What’s the difference between a slogan and a tagline?

In the fast-paced marketing world, you may hear the terms ‘slogans’ and ‘taglines’ used interchangeably. In truth, they serve different purposes.

A slogan is a statement of the company’s branding that’s used in advertising and for internal purposes. A long-term expression of the business attitude, function and more.

A tagline is a purpose-based and short term piece of copywriting. They can be used for advertising or public relations purposes. For example, a fashion brand may create a tagline for a specific range of shoes. In this way, they may be more related to how headlines are crafted.

Examples of Famous brand slogans

Some of today’s most popular brands have used slogans that haven’t just led to massive sales but have become catchphrases in popular culture. Here are some of the most popular slogans through the years:

Nike – Just Do It
De Beers – A diamond is forever
Diesel – Be Stupid
Apple – Think Different
McDonald’s – I’m lovin’ it!

You will notice a few common threads between these, that helped them become so popular. They’re short, snappy, memorable… and they have tons of exactly the right kind of attitude that would help endear themselves to their audience. You could try to use these as inspiration for writing your own slogan for your business. Or you could read on.

Tips to craft your brand slogan

Let’s go a little in-depth, shall we? Let’s look at 5 easy tips you can use to craft a slogan that could be your stairway to success.

1. Keep it simple

The best slogans are usually the simplest ones. They’re easy to remember and they get straight to the point. When you’re coming up with a slogan – be sure to be catchy, but to still keep it simple.

Resist the temptation of being too technical, or to give too much information in your slogan. Remember, you want your audience to be able to retain and recall it at a moments’ notice.

Avoid jargon and clichés, and focus on creating a short, catchy phrase that accurately reflects your brand.

2. Make it memorable

Which means, in addition to making your slogan easy to remember – it needs to be fun to remember too! Using clever wordplay and copywriting techniques can help to create a brand slogan that’s effortlessly memorable.

A successful slogan should have the correct length, cadence, and attitude. One trick to test this out, is to repeat it a few times to yourself.  Does it roll of the tongue, or sound clunky? If it sounds fun, and smooth you’re almost there.

3. Focus on what makes your brand unique

In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever for businesses to have a clear and unique brand identity. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and helps customers to remember and recognise your business.

Think about what makes your business unique – your brand’s Unique Selling Point (USP), and use that as the basis for your slogan. If you can encapsulate the heart of your business in just a few words, you’re well on your way to creating a successful slogan.

4. Appeal to emotion

When crafting your brand slogan, it’s important to keep in mind the emotional response you want it to evoke. After all, a good slogan is the first piece of copywriting your audience encounters. And all great copywriting should make people feel something.

Think about the kind of emotion you want your customers or clients to feel when they see or hear your slogan. Do you want them to feel happy? Inspired? Motivated?

Your brand slogan should be something that resonates with people on an emotional level. It should be something that they can connect with on a personal level.

For example, Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan is about more than just buying Nike products. It’s about empowering people to get out there and achieve their goals, no matter what. It’s an emotional appeal that has resonated with people for years.

5. Test it out

The last step to finalising your brand slogan is to test it out within a group. Present a few slogan options to a group of employees, colleagues, or acquaintances and see which ones resonate the best. This would ensure a positive reaction when you begin using it on your touchpoints.

Be sure to gather feedback, and incorporate them while still following the principles of keeping them emotionally relevant, catchy and memorable.

Conclusion

No matter what business you are in, a slogan is a necessary element to market your company and sell your product or service. Following the steps here will ensure you’re off to a great start to crafting a brand slogan that perfectly represents your business in advertising, internally and externally.

Needless to say, it’s also important to follow basic principles of copywriting such as wordplay, proofreading and syntax. If you’re in need of a brand slogan for your business, we’re here to help. Give us a ping on wayne@everyonecreative.co and we’ll be glad to have a chat about your brand needs.

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to making a successful one that will help take your business to the next level.