Slogans play a crucial role in marketing. These short, pithy, catchy statements are deliberately designed to stick in consumers’ minds while distilling a brand, product, or service into a few memorable words.
Along with creating lasting impressions in the minds of their target audience, successful slogans stand the test of time, becoming synonymous with the brands they’re advertising.
Let’s examine what goes into creating a catchy slogan and how it can power your digital and email marketing campaigns.
What to consider when creating a slogan
What does it take to create an engaging and memorable slogan?
Keep it short, sweet, and memorable
The most effective slogans are brief and succinct. They convey a message or idea within a few words, making them the ideal medium for quick, snappy communication in today’s fast-paced world.
The best slogans stick in your audience’s mind. Techniques like alliteration, rhyming, clever wordplay, and puns help create an unforgettable phrase. Your goal is to have your slogan immediately come to mind when they think about your market sector.
Highlight your USP
Your slogan should feature what separates your brand from the competition. Examine what makes your product and service different from others in your industry, such as innovative features, a primary benefit to your customer, or a core value that makes your brand stand out.
Be relevant and authentic
Any slogan speaks for your business and brand to your target audience. It should address their needs, desires, and pain points while remaining faithful to their values.
Your slogan should be authentic and reflect your brand's values. Find out what your audience wants from their interactions, avoid making promises you can’t keep and use language and tone that aligns with your brand identity.
Remember that you want your brand to evoke an emotional response within your audience, such as curiosity, trust, excitement, or a sense of community.
How to create a slogan
Knowing what it takes to create a successful slogan is essential. Now, it's time to put that knowledge into action and begin applying it.
Here are some of the most effective techniques for creating a slogan.
Brainstorming
Begin by creating a list of words that reflect who your business is and the products or services you’re marketing. These can relate to your brand, product, and service benefits, or customer pain points.
Once you’ve got your word soup, look for exciting combinations and connections between your words. See what links, and identify those that speak for your brand or language that could engage your target audience.
Then, brainstorm as many potential slogans as possible. Quality is unimportant at this time. Be as creative as possible, and don’t discard any ideas, even if you don’t think they’re good enough. Even the most unlikely and unconventional ideas might contain a gem that makes your final slogan sparkle.
Get creative with language
Once you’ve got your initial slogans on a page, review them and find those with a good rhythm. Remember, you’re looking for short, memorable phrases that stick in the mind.
Experiment with rhyming words and phrases to create something that embeds itself in the mind. Say your slogans out loud to hear how they sound and whether they’re enjoyable.
Figurative language helps you create vivid imagery and is an excellent tool for using comparisons that capture your brand’s values or benefits. Alliteration – repeating the same sound at the beginning of successive words – also helps create a memorable impact.
Think about everyday phrases that could relate to your brand. Look for ways to play with them, using wordplay techniques like puns and homophones to create a lasting and memorable impact.
Testing your slogan
Once you’ve settled on your final slogan or have one or two options, test them on your target audience. After hearing them once or twice, find out which ones are the most memorable.
Do some competitive analysis. Does your slogan stand out from your competitors? Does it give your brand a distinctive voice in your marketplace? Can your audience associate it with your brand?
Also, test your slogan across different marketing channels. Use it in some test social media posts and on printed adverts. Also, use it in email marketing literature to enhance the engagement of your subject lines and actively seek feedback from your audience.
The final word
Nailing the process of creating catchy, memorable slogans is a surefire way to help boost audience engagement with your business.