There's an often-repeated soundbite that claims that the average person sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day. It turns out this is an apocryphal statement, allegedly claimed by former market research expert J. Walker Smith, who now denies ever endorsing such figures.
The truth is more mundane.
Advertising is becoming more common, and there's a huge number of brands vying for our time. Brands need to be memorable, and slogans help with that.
More recent estimates put the number of ads seen per day at around 100.
Without looking around your home or in your cupboards, can you name 100 brands? What sets the brands you can name off the top of your head apart from the ones you'd need to see the logo for?
We bet that iconic logos, catchy jingles and memorable slogans are some common factors among the first few brands that come to mind.
Why is a company slogan so important?
Slogans are a part of your brand identity. They're a small soundbite that helps to make your advertising message clear to your target audience. As a result, a slogan plays an important part in building brand awareness.
Good slogans summarize your brand's core values in just a few words and show the "personality" of the brand. That's why some slogans are playful or cheeky, while others are more serious or aspirational. They're designed to quickly communicate who the product is for, and what the ethos of the brand is.
What makes for a good company slogan?
A good company slogan is one that is:
- Memorable
- Short
- Communicates your brand ethos
- Sends a clear message
- Is simple
- Is timeless
- Shows how your company benefits its customers
A slogan doesn't have to explicitly describe what your company does, but it should be related enough to your business that people understand it.
For example, KFC's "finger lickin' good" doesn't mention chicken, but it's still obvious to someone who knows that KFC is a fast food place that the company is proud of its moreish products. The slogan was created by a restaurant manager in the 1950s.
One thing to keep in mind is the difference between a slogan and a tagline. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between them.
What's the difference between a slogan and a tagline?
Slogans are usually used for advertising, and help raise awareness about the brand's mission and values. Meanwhile, taglines have a more narrow focus. They're still catchy and memorable, but they communicate far less.
For example, microchip manufacturer Intel used to have the tagline "Intel Inside" and based many of its slogans on that tagline, such as "The Computer Inside", which was used from 1991 to 1991.
Even after they retired the "Inside" branding, they had slogans such as "Look Inside." and "Experience What's Inside."
Their current marketing campaign, however, uses the slogan "Do something wonderful." It's going to be difficult for Intel to break away from the Inside branding, however, as there are undoubtedly millions of desktop computers all over the world bearing a sticker with that tagline printed on it.
Some companies do have taglines and slogans that are interchangeable. Nike, for example, runs short-term marketing campaigns with inspirational slogans such as "Yesterday you said tomorrow." and "Greatness is not born, it is made." However, those campaigns are short lived, and while they may effectively reach a single generation, they're not as synonymous with Nike as "Just Do It."
People all over the world, of all ages, would think of "Just Do It" as the slogan of Nike, and that makes it successful both as a tagline, and a slogan.
70 company slogan examples
| Slogan | Company |
|---|---|
| "The best a man can get" | Gillette |
| "Just Do It" | Nike |
| "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard." | MasterCard |
| "Once you pop, you can't stop." | Pringles |
| "I'm Lovin' It" | McDonald's |
| "Where's the beef?" | Wendy's |
| "Have a break. Have a KitKat." | KitKat |
| "Red Bull gives you wings." | Red Bull |
| "Think big." | Imax |
| "Belong anywhere." | Airbnb |
| "We are the competition." | Ferrari |
| "Share moments. Share life" | Kodak |
| "Live in your world. Play in ours." | PlayStation |
| "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline." | Maybelline |
| "Democracy dies in darkness." | Washington Post |
| "A diamond is forever." | De Beers |
| "Make every second count." | TikTok |
| "Expect more. Pay less." | Target |
| "Because you're worth it." | L'Oreal |
| "The happiest place on Earth." | Disneyland |
| "We try harder." | Avis |
| "Music for every mood." | Spotify |
| "Explore your world." | Discovery |
| "Coffee that inspires." | Starbucks |
| "Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name." | Meow Mix |
| "It does exactly what it says on the tin." | Ronseal |
| "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." | Fedex |
| "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands." | M&Ms |
| "It's in the game." | EA Sports |
| "Challenge Everything." | Electronic Arts |
| "There is no substitute" | Porsche |
| "Zoom Zoom." | Mazda |
| "Movement that inspires." | Kia |
| "Nothing runs like a Deere." | John Deere |
| "Taste the rainbow." | Skittle |
| "Have it your way." | Burger King |
| "Finger lickin' good." | Kentucky Fried Chicken |
| "Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids!" | Trix Cereal |
| "Think different." | Apple |
| "So easy, a caveman can do it." | Geico |
| "Fly the friendly skies." | United Airlines |
| "Let's go places." | Toyota |
| "Got Milk?" | California Milk Processor Board |
| "Hello boys." | Wonderbra |
| "We have a place for everyone." | Vrbo |
| "Lawyers you'll swear by. Not at." | Harris Beach |
| "Legal knowledge. Human wisdom." | Gardere |
| "Name your own price." | Progressive |
| "For all the nevers in life, State Farm is there." | State Farm |
| "Making money make sense." | BMO |
| "Large enough to serve you, small enough to know you." | Hampton Roads Educators Credit Union |
| "They're g-r-r-r-eat" | Kelloggs Frosted Flakes |
| "The few, the proud, the Marines." | U.S. Marines |
| "Think outside the bun." | Taco Bell |
| "Think small." | Volkswagen |
| "Kids and grownups love it so, the happy world of Haribo." | Haribo |
| "Taste the feeling" | Coca Cola |
| "Eat fresh." | Subway |
| "Invent the impossible" | Qualcomm |
| "We are driving to a better tomorrow." | General Motors |
| "Make. Believe" | Sony |
| "Imagine the possibilities" | Samsung |
| "Empowering us all" | Microsoft |
| "The way it's meant to be played." | Nvidia |
| "Bringing gaming to life" | Rockstar Games |
| "Bringing you closer to the people and things you love." | |
| "Less is more." | Muji's |
| "Change lives. Change the world." | Stanford University |
| "Broadcast yourself." | YouTube |
| "See It. Say it. Sorted." | British Transport Police |
Why these slogans work
Let's take a closer look at two of these slogans and unpack why they work so well.
"Where's the Beef?"
This iconic slogan debuted in 1984. It features three elderly women admiring a 'big, fluffy bun'. But one character questions the size of the patty, asking "where's the beef?" This was a jab at their competitors McDonalds and Burger King, with Wendy's asserting that they give more meat than other burger joints.
40 years on and the slogan is still going strong.
"Got milk?"
The "Got Milk?" campaign was launched by the California Milk Processor Board in 1993, and is still a part of our lexicon today. The slogan is short and simple, but the advertising was anything but that.
By immersing itself in pop culture with celebrity endorsements and humorous messaging, "Got Milk?" transformed the way that people perceived the dairy drink. Rather than an addition for cereal or coffee, milk became an important health drink with benefits you could not afford to miss out on. As a result, the campaign revitalized milk sales, with a 7.7% rise in the first year alone.
How to create your own company slogan
As you can see, good company slogans are simple, memorable and send a clear message. If you're stuck for inspiration when it comes to making a slogan, try some of these creative devices:
- Rhyming
Many slogans rhyme because this makes them catchy and easy to remember. The British Transport Police's "See it. Say it. Sorted." has become a meme among foreign tourists who have got the message stuck in their minds after using the British rail system. Similarly, try saying "Kids and grownups love it so, the happy world of Haribo." without singing it! - Use onomatopoeia
Fun to say, short and memorable slogans such as Mazda's "Zoom Zoom" employ onomatopoeia. - Set a challenge
"Once you pop, you can't stop!" (Pringles) and "Betcha can't just eat one" (Lays) are well-known snack company slogans that challenge the reader/listener. - Make it exclusive
"Trix are for kids!", and the old-fashioned Yorkie was "Not for girls". The latter slogan is now considered sexist, but the idea of exclusivity can be used in more sensitive ways. People want things that are exclusive, and want them even more if they're not supposed to be a part of the target group. - Ask a question
A common psychological trick is to ask questions. Clickbait articles use this in their headlines. When people see questions, they instinctively answer them, and that gets them thinking about the brand.
Other strategies to use when writing a slogan include mentioning the brand name, using joyful words, and highlighting how your brand solves a problem. Ideally, your slogan should be something that your target audience will quickly come to associate with the benefits of your brand.
Verizon says "Can you hear me now?", helping people think of them as solving their communication problems. Nvidia helps gamers play their favorite title "the way it's meant to be played." with good frame rates and great graphics.
Write out a long list of concepts and ideas, and get friends, family or existing users to rate them. Cast the net wide with your testing, so that you get the slogan seen by a diverse range of people. This will help you avoid accidentally causing upset because of a double meaning or cultural misunderstanding about the connotations of certain words.
Once you've got a slogan that most people like, use it consistently in your branding until it becomes unmistakably yours.
Explore Whop for business advice, education, and networking
Slogans are just one part of marketing. You'll also need a logo, tagline, marketing creatives and of course great products. If you're struggling with any part of the practical aspects of your business, having a support network will be invaluable.
Whop is full of thriving communities of people who would like to learn new skills or launch a business. From tips for real estate brokers and Amazon store owners to strategies for online marketing, you can find communities of all kinds on Whop. Some of these communities are free to join, others require a subscription but include more hands-on advice and support from the community leaders.
The connections you make can hold you accountable when your motivation wanes and can help you find new approaches to solving complex problems. Whether you choose to sell on Whop yourself or to take advantage of the huge depth and breadth of knowledge available as a community member, we're confident you'll get a lot out of the platform.
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