The Slogan for Your Business is so Important – 5 Key Reasons Why

We can all remember slogans, or taglines or memory hooks, as they are also sometimes called. I can still remember slogans from when I was as child growing up in the UK.

The magic worked. How do I know? It is clear to me now that I only seemed to process slogans that were for products I was interested in at the time. Opal Fruits (now Starburst): ‘made to make your mouth water.’ Fudge: ‘A finger of fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat.’ Mars: ‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.’

I think most of us would agree that slogans are important to business brands. In fact, continued market presence for some brands hangs upon the effectiveness of their slogans.

So, what about smaller businesses and the messages their brands convey? Should they have slogans in the same way larger corporations do. Yes! What I notice, however, is that many small business owners don’t pay enough attention to having a good slogan.
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I have highlighted 5 key reasons for why having a slogan is important for your small business, charity or other organisation.

1. Your Strategic Planning
 
Let’s begin with the most important of the 5 key reasons – your strategy.

Strategic planning is for many the most boring of activities. I get it! You’re good at what you do. You’re not good at planning strategy.

Your strategy, however, is crucial. It is at strategy stage you will be bringing clarity of thought to the vision and mission of your business.

Your slogan once decided upon will work to convey what your business is about, what it does and the benefits it brings to its target audience.

As a sales tool your slogan will do what those memorable slogans did in my mind when I was a child. Customers will associate themselves with your business when they know about your business and what it is offering. Your business brand will inspire and be remembered, in part, by the quality of its slogan.
 
2. Locking Out Your Competitors
 
As part of your strategic planning you have researched both your direct and indirect competitors. This is also crucial. Let’s be honest, when wanting to take market share you’ll be looking at ways to grab ideas from your competitors to improve on them.

Once launched your business, with its unique selling proposition, and while new kid on the block, will be competition too.

The words ‘Made in China’ are everywhere in modern life. Factories in China appear to be making just about everything these days.

Markets around the world are flooded with products less expensive to the consumer because the manufacturing processes are cheaper than in the West, for example.

In many instances, the lower cost production processes are in part due to Chinese manufacturers copying ideas instead of innovating. As for improving on them, this is on price to the consumer, not on quality.

Your competitors can copy your ideas too. However, what your competitors cannot do is copy and use the slogan to your business brand. This is yours and yours alone. More reason to decide well when planning your strategy!
 
3. Making Your Brand Different
 
I mentioned earlier the unique selling proposition of your business. This is often abbreviated to ‘USP’.
 
There is some debate as to whether it is possible to have a USP. The thinking here is around whether selling propositions are truly genuine. Something that is unique can only be unique, it is argued. It cannot be somewhat unique or quite unique. It is unique, or it isn’t. The prevailing question here is, which of us can honestly claim our business, our products and services are wholly unique?
 
Personally, I believe it is possible to have a USP and my belief is based purely upon the brand story that is associated with a business, a product or service. What makes your business brand unique is you!

Your slogan will play a leading role in how your business brand will resonate, develop allegiance and be remembered. It will also carry the all-important USP thus making your brand different.
 
4. Communicating Key Benefits
 
A good slogan will inform customers of what the key benefits are of your product or service. Ultimately, your slogan should enthuse, not confuse.

When your customers read your slogan, they should quickly get a clear idea of the benefits they can expect from your product or service. Will your product or service change their lives or meet their need in the way they hope? Your slogan should say. 
 
5. I Remember That!
 
I opened this blog piece by reminiscing about my childhood and some of the slogans I can remember from those halcyon days. You will remember yours too. This is evidence enough that a good slogan for your business brand will result in it being remembered.
 
Summary

Having a good slogan for our business brand is crucial. Our USP and key benefits need to be protected from the competition and we want our customers to remember our business.

You may be starting out with an exciting new product or service or you may have an established business that has a customer base that needs to grow. Wherever you are on the journey of running a business a compelling and memorable slogan will convey what your business is about, what it does and the benefits it brings to its target audience.

For further discussion please contact me here at ‘Future Point 4 Business, for the Ideal Future Point of Your Business’.

Author: Phillipe Avery

Founder Director, Future Point 4 Business