In this series, Squideo is going to break down each of these eight ingredients. Follow our advice, and your next advert might just turn content into gold! This week, we’re starting with the bedrock of every company’s social presence: the slogan. 

What is a slogan?

They're gr-r-reat!

The happiest place on Earth. 

Snap! Crackle! Pop!

Just do it.

Finger lickin’ good. 

Any of these sound familiar? The right slogan has the power to embed itself into the public mindset and become a part of popular culture. And even if it doesn’t reach the same legacy status as these global brands, the right slogan should become synonymous with your company.

It will represent your values, motivate your audience, and drive all future advertising campaigns. That means you shouldn’t come up with your slogan immediately. Give it a lot of thought, consider how it will appeal to your target demographic, and then think some more before making the commitment.

What is the difference between a slogan and a tagline?

While a slogan is for life, a tagline is much more interchangeable. Taglines can be reworked for different seasons and different products. The slogan is synonymous with your brand, just like a logo, and it should only be changed if you’re planning a major overhaul of your company’s look. 

Taglines can be longer than the short, catchy slogan. This means they can be more descriptive, making them perfect for describing the products and services your company offers. 

For example, Apple’s slogan is “Think Different” (replacing it’s 1970s to 80s slogan of “Byte into an Apple.”) When it launched its iPhone SE, it came with the tagline “A big step for small” to promote the compactness of this new iPhone model. 

Coca-Cola’s slogan – “It’s the real thing” – has been accompanied by dozens of taglines since its creation in 1886. Which one made its biggest impact on you? 

Catch the Wave.

You Can’t Beat the Feeling.

You Can’t Beat the Real Thing.

Make It Real.

Taste the Feeling.

Coca-Cola’s taglines use similar wordings to reinforce its branding throughout so many advertising campaigns. This is seen through its consistent use of the words “feeling” and “real.” Combined with its distinguishable red palette, this makes it easy for consumers to spot its advertisements at a glance. 

Taglines can also be introduced for each product. Diet Coke had “Open Happiness.” Coke Zero got “Tastes More Like Coke.” Both fit with Coca-Cola’s brand, whilst informing consumers of the qualities that make this product stand out in the range.

Create Your Slogan

Ready to create a slogan of your own? Read Squideo’s tips below to produce the right slogan for you and your company. Or, if you would like direct marketing advice, get in touch with us.

1. Have It Your Way

Before you break out the rhyming dictionary or start drafting mnemonics, there’s an important question to answer: what do you want your slogan to say? Should it set you up as a modern, fun company. Or as a forerunner in your industry. Look to your brand for the answer – you want a slogan that will reflect you and your company. 

2. Buy It. Sell It. Love It. 

Toyota chose a simple slogan: “Let’s Go Places.” It reflects the product (motor vehicles, if you don’t know) and the minimalist look the brand embodies. Tesco chose to keep it monetary themed: “Every Little Helps.” It emphasises the company’s commitment to lowering costs for consumers. 

Should your slogan be funny, serious, informative… It’s a question only you can answer! For inspiration, look at other companies in your field and companies targeting the same demographic. What are they doing? 

Have a look at Squideo’s video for Qiiosk. Their slogan, “Information Everywhere,” connects them to their industry as an app developer. 

3. Imagination at Work

Remember, the tagline is for detail. Your slogan should be short and to the point. How many famous slogans can you think of that are longer than five words? Probably not many. Set yourself a word limit to stop the slogan from running away from you – and your audience. 

4. The Quicker Picker Upper

To make your slogan snappy, it must be fast, direct, and able to quickly roll off the tongue. Consider alliteration, puns and play on well-known expressions. This will make your slogan the most memorable it can be. 

Have a look at Squideo’s video for Highlight. Taking this point to the extreme, their slogan is only two words: “See Clearly.”

5. Challenge Everything

History is full of advertising fails. Some are funny coincidences, like when a slogan creates an unfortunate acronym. Others can be more destructive, tarnishing the reputation of a brand. To avoid becoming a cautionary tale for future advertisers, test your slogan and test it well. 

Not only should the slogan go through several members of your team, test it on your audience too. The benefit of social media is you can deliver it as a public vote, or run adverts featuring different slogans and delete those that are unsuccessful. 

Share Your Slogan

Once you’ve got the perfect slogan for your company, it’s time to share it as widely as possible! Your slogan should be consistently present throughout your advertising campaign, becoming as synonymous with your brand as your logo. 

That’s not to say it needs to appear on every piece of advertising – sometimes a tagline may be more appropriate. But often enough that when a customer hears it, they associate it with you. 

1. Video Adverts

This is a Squideo blog, so we have to lead with video! Whether they’re destined for television, YouTube or your website – a slogan can take a video to the next level. 

2. Billboards

Either static or animated, billboards are a great way to capture audience attention. Even a minimalistic design featuring a prominent slogan can go a long way – providing you’ve followed our tips and have come up with a winner!

3. Website

When someone arrives at your website, they will stay there for an average of 54 seconds. To convert an audience into customers, it’s important to capture their attention immediately. 

Having a slogan front and centre is a great way to hook their interest. Show off your corporate values, encapsulate your company’s services, have some fun! Whatever the slogan, make sure it has a prominent place on your website. 

4. Social Media

Most social media platforms have a word limit for your profile biography – making it the perfect spot to use your short and snappy slogan. Keep it short enough and you might even have some characters left over to add details about your services and location. 

5. Paper Ads

Business cards, flyers, leaflets… each one is a worthy location for your slogan. The beauty of this traditional advertising medium is that your audience literally takes it home with them, giving your slogan plenty of time to work its magic. 

Content Worth Gold

Get in touch with the Squideo team today to find out how we can improve your advertising strategy with video production, motion graphics, social media management and much more!