Tips to Help You Create the Perfect Company Slogan

When it comes to creating your company slogan, you want the phrasing to be perfect. After all, this is a critical part of your overall branding strategy and will help define your business for years to come. When we think of famous slogans such as Nike’s “Just Do It,” we might feel overwhelmed and intimidated at the task of coming up with something as catchy and memorable as that.

Though it might feel as though all the good slogans are taken, the good news is there are still plenty of creative options. All you need to get started is a plan, a brainstorming method, and a little flexibility. Let’s explore.

1. Resist the urge to wax poetic.

The first rule of thumb when it comes to creating the perfect company slogan is this: Keep it simple. You might consider it helpful to list your best attributes here, but you don’t have to be literal in this arena at all. For instance, when read alone, “Have it your way” doesn’t have anything at all to do with hamburgers. Yet, we know it’s the Burger King slogan because of decades of association.

In the same way, your company might sell hair accessories, but your slogan doesn’t have to be “Best, Fancy, Fabulous Hair Accessories for Women.” Rather, it can be something shorter, more direct and more memorable, such as “Look your best today.” Even the best presidential campaign slogans (check it out for more) followed this technique. From “I like Ike” to “I propose a new deal,” they stuck in our minds because they were easy to remember, and brevity goes a long way here.

2. Make sure it’s consistent with your branding.

Your overall branding campaign is comprised of your print marketing materials, your website, your social media platforms, your e-newsletter and other online collateral, and more. Make sure whatever slogan you decide on fits in well with all of these other elements. The tone of the message and the picture it paints should be congruent with the other parts of your campaign. If so, the end result will be a cohesive, uniform brand image that will help people remember you longer.

3. Highlight your differentiators.

Do you do something better than the rest of the competition out there? What is your unique selling proposition and what should make shoppers stop at your business over someone else’s? For instance, does your medical practice specialize in cutting-edge technology? Do all of your delivery drivers use electric cars? Find what sets you apart and try to incorporate it into your short, meaningful slogan. For instance, a professional comedian specializing in children’s birthday parties might have a slogan that reads “Humor for Ages 10 and Under.”

4. Ensure it can stand the test of time.

Remember when Verizon had its “Can you hear me now?” campaign? That was a solid home run for the mobile carrier, but now that most smartphones deliver crystal clear audio, it’s no longer as relevant as it was 10 years ago.

To that end, choose a slogan that can sound as convincing and relevant decades down the road as it does now. If yours contains trendy words that define a specific time period (think “selfie” or “squad goals”), think twice before affixing them to your campaign materials. They might sound great now, but will they remain timeless or will they cause your brand to sink as the tide shifts?

5. Keep your target audience top-of-mind.

You wouldn’t have the exact same conversation with your grandmother as you would your three-year-old niece. There’s also not a one-size-fits-all slogan that will appeal to every single person. To narrow the process down a bit, focus mainly on your target audience and the tone or message that those communities would like to hear. What are their preferences and goals? What are they interested in outside of your product and what kind of words or phrases would appeal to them the most? You might not be able to please everyone, but if you can please those in your niche, you’ll be well on your way toward success.

Coming up with a slogan can feel like an impossible feat, especially when you’re overwhelmed with a million other business initiatives to take care of. Yet, this is one step you don’t want to skip and one you definitely don’t want to rush through. Instead, take your time and stick to the basics. When you land on the ideal saying, you’ll know it was the perfect fit for your business.