A strong slogan is a leading element in your brand story.
Unfortunately, too many miss the mark because they try to be all things to all people, or they simply don’t leave marketers something substantive to act on. That's a missed opportunity.
Is your brand guilty? Here are 7 deadly slogan sins:
- Slogans that translate poorly (or offensively) if your audience is non-English first speakers.
- Relying on three word taglines. They’re. Already. Outdated.
- Using clichés that can quickly become passé. They come across as out of touch.
- Failing to research to be sure the idea isn’t already in use. Don’t violate copyrights or look like a copycat.
- Appropriating other brands. Many marketers have pirated “Got Milk?” or similar popular slogans with their own “Got _?” spinoff. It's cheap and lazy.
- Rambling on too long. More than about eight words makes it much harder to be memorable.
- Using jargon that’s only specific to the finance industry. Insider language puts up a wall in front of customers and prospects.
Slogans can do a lot of things for a brand: inspire action, promise an experience, share the bank or credit union's values, play off a name—or much more. And when they're done right, they're powerful.
This is an excerpt from my bestselling new book, Don’t Just Brand There, Do Something that dropped March 11 and hit Amazon's #1 New Release in Financial Services and #1 New Release in Advertising. It’s a first-of-its-kind book for bankers who want to make their brand promise unique, concrete and can-do.
For more info on all my books, click here. To get your copy of the newest in epub or print versions, go to Amazon or any of your favorite booksellers.
photo credit: Nik on Unsplash
