“And leave off the last “s” for savings!”
“It keeps going, and going, and going…”
“Just do it.”
Instantly recognizable, these are some of the most successful company slogans ever created. With slogans, of course, success is measured by how long you remember the words after you hear them. But what made these things stick in our minds? Let’s take a look at some tips for creating an excellent company slogan to slap on your business card and keep your company at the top of your customer’s mind for years to come.
1.) Brainstorm around your business name.
You want your slogan to remind people of your business name, so start with the name of your biz and begin the creative process from there. A phrase that reinforces your company name is a great way to emphasize your brand and make it easy for people to recall your business and what it does. If your company name doesn’t lend itself to incorporation within your slogan, that’s okay. You can still come up with a great slogan to get customers’ attention. Keep reading.
2.) Use keywords for your industry.
Everyone knows that an overwhelming majority of consumers will begin their search for a product or service they desire by doing a Google search. Most people also know that a website that contains key search words make your business more likely to be stumbled upon. Putting keywords in your slogan, which will probably appear frequently with your company name and at the top of your web page, is a great way to make your brand more search engine friendly.
3.) Tell consumers what you do.
Your slogan can be a very utilitarian opportunity to just let people know what your company specializes in. Let’s say you now own a 200-year-old clothing company named “Sundigan.” You can’t very well change the name of the company to reflect what it does. But you can add a new slogan that will make it clearer and give the name an updated ring. “Sundigan: Fresh threads for any style,” for example.
4.) Use Puns.
To get a pun, you have to wrap your mind around it for a few seconds. That thought process really ingrains plays on words in the reader’s head. Cheesy though they may be, people undeniably love plays on words. They make people laugh and want to tell others about the joke. “Hurricane Publishing: Our Words Will Blow You Away!” “Celine’s Beauty Parlor: Let’s Makeup and Be Friends” “Smith’s Winery: We’ve Got a Grape Vintage for You!” Over the top – yes. Will they make people giggle and ultimately remember? You bet.
5. Use Rhymes
Rhymes, like song lyrics, are easy to remember. They’re great memory devices, plain and simple. “Dan’s Linoleum Siding: It Ain’t Paint!” “Julie’s Cell Phone Emporium: Talk Your Walk.” Have fun with your slogan and your customers will have fun with it too. As a bonus, they’ll automatically view your company in a favorable, playful, upbeat light.
6.) Use Short Slogans
Here’s a terrible slogan: “Fennigan’s: We’re the ones with those great checkered coats from England.” What’s wrong with it? It’s long and clumsy, obviously. “Fennigan’s: We’ve got coats.” It may still not be great, but it’s much less painful. A short slogan, like a short street address or website name, is easy to remember and therefore ideal. Take a cue from Rodney Dangerfield. He knew that one-liners packed the biggest punch.
7.) Make Your Slogan A Pitch
You can make your slogan work for you by making it scream out your company’s benefits right alongside your company name. If you own a carwash company, you can say in a few words how clean a car is when it leaves your business. “Main Street Auto Wash: We Make Cars Gleam.” You can even use the rhyming technique at the same time: “Main Street Auto Wash: For a Ride You Won’t Want to Hide.”
8.) Ask Others Before You Put Your Slogan on a Business Card
We hate to break it to you, but just because you think your slogan is the coolest thing you’ve ever heard, doesn’t mean it will sit well with the public (read: your customers). Ask people who won’t say they like it just to be nice (hint: your mom is not one of them). Friends, friends of friends, the bum on the street, anyone! Get a lot of opinions before deciding to move forward and put your slogan on your business card, your website, your flyers, etc.
Happy brainstorming!
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
