Branding can seem complex sometimes – and ultimately, your brand takes into account all kinds of factors. It’s not only a case of having a great logo and a firm reputation, but also making sure that you have the copy to really pull in fresh interest. In many cases, a great slogan or byline could be all that you need to really reach out to the masses. Is your own branding slogan doing enough for your customers and turnover right now?
If you’re not sure, then it might just be time for you to go back to basics. You’ve likely seen plenty of great slogans and streamlines in the past – what is it about them that have appealed to you as a consumer? How can you work this magic to your own projects, company and website?
Let’s take a look at a few ways in which you can rethink and revamp your brand slogan for the better.
Go Simple
As you’ve likely seen, some of the biggest and best-known slogans, i.e. the ones which are the most effective, are some of the shortest and most succinct. Purely having a lack of phrases or words isn’t enough, however. It’s the words you choose – but as a starting point, try not to go overboard on the words. If you have ten or more, then you may be at risk of losing interest from people who you really want to connect with.
Think of some of the biggest slogans on the planet right now. ‘I’m Loving’ It’ for McDonalds is a great example – as is ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’ for Volkswagen. While these phrases may mean different things to different people, they are both short and simple. Yes – the VW slogan is German – however, it rolls off the tongue, and it’s famously associated with the brand.
Show Your Intention
While some of the most successful slogans and branding bylines are a little on the odd side, you’re more likely to appeal to people if you are explicitly clear on what you have to offer. Otherwise, people are going to wonder what your appeal actually is. There is a school of thought that suggests being upfront with people, and effectively doing a lot of the legwork, too.
People want to know what you have to offer, and whether or not you are worth pursuing, very shortly after finding you. This should be a matter of seconds, not hours, or even minutes. With that in mind, explain what you do as succinctly as possible.
For example, for a local mechanic or car service centre, you could opt for something as simple as ‘we fix cars’. A butcher might go for ‘the best meat, delivered to you’. These are slogans that are quick, simple, memorable, and they tell people what they want to know without them having to dig too deeply.
Consistency is Key
If you have any experience in marketing and brand building at all, then you will already know that consistency is absolutely vital. Too many different slogans, logos, colour schemes or otherwise will just confuse your audience. What’s more, you will certainly do your end goal no service whatsoever. Think carefully about a slogan that’s going to appeal to the right people in the here and now, and that’s going to weather years to come.
Consistency means choosing something very carefully, and allowing it to stick. Yes – some big companies go through slogan changes every now and again – but if you do this every year, you’re going to not only lose out on additional interest, but you also run the risk of losing the support and backing of the people who already shop with you and trust you.
With that in mind, don’t take your slogan picking too lightly. In fact…
Be Open to Feedback
Believe it or not, the best slogans aren’t dreamed up and decided upon on the spot. Most aren’t, in any case. They go through rigorous checks, and most tellingly, they go through many different opinions and reviews, too.
It’s therefore a great idea to reach out to your audience, as well as your team, to share your slogan ideas around. A good rule of thumb may be to set up three or four slogans and to see what the general feeling might be. Set up a few markers for feedback, get people to rate them clearly, and move onto your ideal slogan from there.
In fact, it might even be a good idea to set up a public poll or survey with your audience. This is a great marketing exercise, and you can easily set it up through social media. Why not let the people decide?
Be Clever With Language
Yes – we’ve mentioned keeping it simple. However, when you really want to pull in interest from the right people, you need to be emotive. You also need to make sure you appeal to their needs. Therefore, while ‘we fix cars’ is nice and short, you might want to beef it up a bit for extra impact. Why not ‘we get you back on the road’ – this speaks to the personal experience of the customer, and thus inspires them to take action.
Donald Miller’s ‘Storybrand’ hypothesis offers a fantastic insight into the power of words. It’s all about putting your audience at the centre of their story. Show them a problem, show them you understand it, and promise to fix it. You’re going to need to do that in a handful of words – but it’s perfectly possible!
Don’t Rush In
Once again, we greatly recommend that you take the time to carefully consider your slogan-building. Otherwise, you’re going to risk rushing the process – meaning that you could end up annoying or alienating your audience.
Take care to understand what it is your audience is looking for – and make them the centre of the slogan and all your marketing. Once you crack into this epicentre, you’ll find you can make many, many conversions. Give it a try!