When you create a brand slogan for yourself or your organization, keep this rule of thumb in mind: Your slogan should never require further explanation. The phrase should be able to be understood on its own. For example, read the following slogans and tell me if you can figure out what they mean:
- Bringing quality to life.
- Beautiful orthodoxy.
- Good goes around.
- Real life. Real living.
I don’t want to embarrass the organizations with these boring, ambiguous slogans, so I didn’t list their names. Suffice it to say, slogans as confusing as those above are causing more harm than good. Customers won’t feel interested to buy from you if they can’t understand how you help them.
Your slogan should never require further explanation to be understood by the public. It should be clear, simple, and convey benefit to the consumer. Notice how the following slogans require no further explanation:
- Save money. Live better. (Wal-Mart)
- Let’s build something together. (Lowe’s Home Improvement)
- Leading women in the adventure of faith. (Lysa TerKeurst)
- Save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off. (Clark Howard)
- Spread your message like wildfire. (Wildfire Marketing)
Take a moment to examine your own slogan. Does it require further explanation to be understood by the public? If so, then it requires that you change it immediately. Your customers and your bank account will thank you.
Branding image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
