What Makes a Slogan Successful? The Ultimate Guide

You see them everywhere – on billboards, in TV commercials, plastered on the side of buses. Slogans are one of the most visible and ubiquitous forms of advertising. And for good reason – a well-crafted slogan can be a powerful branding tool that shapes how people perceive and remember your company.

But what separates a great slogan from a dud? What is the secret sauce that makes some stick in our minds like glue while others evaporate from memory as soon as we hear them?

In this post, we‘ll explore the science and art of slogan-making. We‘ll dive into the research on what makes slogans memorable and dissect some famous examples. Finally, you‘ll come away with actionable tips for crafting your own killer slogan.

Why Slogans Matter

Before we get into the how, let‘s talk about the why. Why do slogans matter in the first place? Here are a few key reasons:

1. Slogans are often the first thing customers learn about your brand. They are the "hook" that grabs attention and begins forming associations.

2. Slogans provide a shorthand way to communicate your brand essence. They boil down everything you want to convey into a pithy, memorable phrase.

3. Slogans differentiate you from competitors. In a crowded market, a distinctive slogan sets you apart and sticks in customers‘ minds as they make purchase decisions.

4. Slogans make your brand advertising more effective. A consistent slogan unifies campaigns and channels, creating a cumulative impact over time.

To illustrate the power of slogans, consider this oft-cited statistic: Consumers are exposed to over 5,000 ads per day. In that cluttered environment, anything you can do to be memorable and top-of-mind matters.

And slogans tend to "stick" better than other forms of ad content. One study by professor Keith Dowling found that slogans are recalled at a rate of 68%, while only 50% of people remember the accompanying copy points.

So if you want to lodge your brand in customers‘ brains, crafting a great slogan is a powerful way to do it. But that begs the question – what exactly makes a slogan "great"?

The Anatomy of a Great Slogan

Not all slogans are created equal. The most enduring, iconic slogans tend to share a few key characteristics:

1. Memorable

A slogan doesn‘t do you any good if no one remembers it. The stickiest slogans use tactics like:

• Alliteration: Repeating consonant sounds, e.g. "The daily diary of the American dream" (Wall Street Journal)
• Rhyme: Using words with matching final sounds, e.g. "The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup"
• Plosive sounds: Using "explosive" consonants like P, B, and K, e.g. "The quicker picker upper" (Bounty)
• Repetition: Repeating words or sounds, e.g. "I am what I am" (Reebok)

In professor Dowling‘s study, slogans that used alliteration or rhyme were recalled 38% more often than those that did not. And an analysis by SimpleTexting found that 57% of the most memorable ad slogans of all time used alliteration, while 45% used rhyme.

2. Meaningful

A slogan should communicate an important benefit or idea, not just be catchy for the sake of being catchy. Great slogans tend to:

• Highlight a key product attribute (e.g. M&M‘s "melts in your mouth, not in your hand")
• Communicate the brand‘s mission or philosophy (e.g. Apple‘s "Think different")
• Evoke an emotional benefit (e.g. L‘Oreal‘s "Because you‘re worth it")
• Make a big, bold claim (e.g. Red Bull‘s "Red Bull gives you wings")

3. Simple

Less is more when it comes to slogans. You want a succinct phrase that can be grasped quickly and chanted repeatedly.

In an analysis of 150 top ad slogans by Zyxware Technologies, the average length was just 5-6 words. Outliers on the longer end included Coca-Cola‘s "The pause that refreshes" (4 words) and Mastercard‘s "There are some things money can‘t buy. For everything else there‘s Mastercard" (12 words).

But in general, short and sweet wins the day. Conciseness makes a slogan punchy and portable across formats.

4. On-Brand

Perhaps most importantly, a slogan must fit your brand identity like a glove. Its tone, style, and message should all line up with your overall brand personality.

(via The Branding Journal)

For example, Nike‘s "Just do it" works because it taps into their brand ethos of audacious athleticism. But the same slogan would feel out-of-character for a conservative investment bank or a romantic luxury resort.

Famous Slogan Examples Deconstructed

Now that we‘ve covered the key elements theoretically, let‘s see them in practice. Here are some famous slogans and why they work:

"Got milk?" (California Milk Processor Board)

• Simple, concise question format
• "Got" is casual/conversational, giving it a relatable vibe
• Presumes milk is so essential, it‘s jarring not to have it
• Distinctive structure that inspired endless parodies, keeping it top of mind

"The happiest place on Earth" (Disneyland)

• Bold claim that no other entertainment brand could credibly make
• "Happiest" suggests pure, childlike joy – perfect for a theme park
• "On Earth" hints at transportive magic, an escape from the ordinary
• Alliteration with repeated "P" sound makes it pleasantly ear-catching

"Don‘t leave home without it" (American Express)

• Simple, straightforward, commanding structure
• Suggests the card is so essential, you‘d be foolish not to bring it
• "Home" creates a welcoming, personal tone
• Hints at the card‘s ubiquitous acceptance and reliability for travel

"Taste the rainbow" (Skittles)

• "Taste" highlights the key sensory experience of the product
• "Rainbow" vividly captures the product‘s multi-colored array
• Suggests an intense sensory experience beyond just flavor
• Mysterious, fantastical vibe matches the brand‘s whimsical identity

Analyzing great slogans in this way reveals the careful strategy and brand understanding behind them. Simplicity and memorability don‘t happen by accident – they are engineered with a deep knowledge of the brand and its customers.

Tips for Slogan Success

Now that you‘ve got a sense of what makes a powerful slogan tick, here‘s some advice for crafting your own:

1. Audit your brand: Before you put pen to paper, deeply assess your brand identity, values, and personality. List out your key attributes, benefits, and target audience. Your slogan must reinforce and align with these.

2. Focus on one key thing: Try to distill your brand/offering down to one key idea you want to convey. What‘s the singular most important thing customers should know about you? Slogans are not the place for laundry lists of features.

3. Use concrete, sensory language: The more tangible and specific, the better. Avoid tired cliches and meaningless abstractions. Use vivid words that evoke a feeling, image, sound, or other sense.

4. Brainstorm a massive list: Generating a great slogan is a numbers game. List out at least 50-100 options to start, knowing that most won‘t be useable. Even a "bad" idea might have an interesting word or turn-of-phrase you can build on.

5. Play with rhythm and sound: Say your options out loud to hear how they roll off the tongue. Experiment with poetic devices like alliteration, assonance, and repetition to make them catchier and more pleasant to say/hear.

6. Stress test for controversy or misinterpretation: As you narrow down to a shortlist, gut check each option. Could it be taken the wrong way? Does it have any accidental offensive implications? You don‘t want an embarrassing gaffe like the classic "Come alive! You‘re in the Pepsi Generation."

7. Get outside feedback: Poll employees, customers, partners, and friends on your shortlist. Get a sense of how real people receive and interpret them. You may be too close to see things objectively.

Testing and Iteration

No matter how rigorous your process, some slogans just won‘t land quite right in practice. Maybe they are misinterpreted or forgotten more frequently than you‘d expect.

That‘s why it‘s important to treat slogans as an iterative process. When rolling out a new slogan, always measure how well it performs across touchpoints. Survey customers on recall, associations, and overall sentiment. A/B test different slogans when possible.

Keep an eye out for any negative publicity or unforeseen interpretations as well. You may need to course-correct if a slogan isn‘t having the desired impact.

The beauty of slogans is that they are relatively low-cost to change compared to a name or logo. Think of them as a flexible brand asset that you can continually optimize.

Implementing Your Slogan

Once you‘ve landed on "the one", it‘s time to integrate your slogan across all your brand touchpoints. Use it consistently in all your marketing and communications – website headers, business cards, email signatures, ads, social media bios, product packaging, etc.

The more customers are exposed to your slogan, the more it will embed itself in their memory. So don‘t be shy – say it loud and proud!

Consider also "locking it up" with your logo as part of your core brand identity. This creates a powerful association between the two elements.

As you implement, make sure your slogan gets its due attention. It‘s not just a throwaway line – it‘s a key brand asset on par with your name, logo, and colors. Your slogan should get its own brand guidelines documentation outlining exactly how and where to use it for maximum impact.

Conclusion

Let‘s recap what we‘ve learned about slogans:

1. Slogans are short phrases that communicate a brand‘s key attributes or benefits in a succinct, memorable way.

2. Great slogans stick in customers‘ minds, creating enduring positive associations with the brand. A study found they are recalled 38% more than ads without them.

3. To be effective, slogans must be memorable, meaningful, simple, and on-brand. Tools like rhyme, alliteration, bold claims, and emotional appeal boost memorability.

4. When crafting a slogan, align with your brand essence, brainstorm expansively, and get outside feedback to stress test the best options.

5. Implement your slogan consistently across touchpoints and don‘t hesitate to iterate if it isn‘t hitting the mark.

A slogan may be a small piece of your brand identity, but it can have an outsized impact. With a little strategic thinking and a lot of creative magic, you can craft a slogan that becomes a calling card for your brand.

Follow the proven principles we‘ve outlined, and soon you too could join the illustrious company of enduring brand slogans. Who knows – maybe one day people will be analyzing your slogan as one of the greats!