In Branding, the Best Slogans Are Promises
Strong brands have made their promise the cornerstone of their business.
A slogan or tagline is a short and catchy phrase that is easy to remember.
When advertisers create slogans to use in ad campaigns, they want these slogans to be memorable because, ultimately, they aim to increase brand awareness and sales.
This advertising focus might boost sales with catchy and funny phrases in the short term.
In the long term, however, slogans written for ad campaigns can often feel superficial, designed to sound impressive but lacking in substance. This shallowness could weaken a brand.
A brand promise is different: it reduces everything a business does to a single pledge. It commits a company to deliver on this promise every single time, even if it has to sacrifice a portion of its profits.
BMW's "The Ulitmate Driving Machine," Apple's "Think Different," Home Depots "How Doers Get More Done," Walmart's "Save Money - Live Better," and Target's "Expect More - Pay Less" are more than catchy slogans.
These phrases represent the essence of their brands and commit these companies to deliver on their pledge.
This commitment can be so transformational that it will focus everyone's energy on creating internal processes and organizational structures that allow each employee to fulfill the brand promise, both internally between colleagues and externally with customers and suppliers.
Authenticity Turns a Slogan Into a Powerful Promise
Customers pay close attention to whether companies live up to their advertising claims or whether they ignore them and act differently. Even slight deviations can raise doubts about a brand's authenticity and make its promise appear as sloganeering.
If customers feel a promise is vague or, worse, insincere, it can significantly weaken a brand, leading to a lack of positive reviews and less word-of-mouth recommendations.
However, strong brands have made their promise the cornerstone of their business.
Every employee is dedicated to fulfilling this promise, creating a corporate culture where customers can directly experience this commitment in their interactions with the company. It is this authenticity that turns a mere marketing slogan into a powerful brand promise.
What Is Your Brand Promise? Like a solemn pledge you take, a brand promise commits your company to deliver on this promise every single time. These three steps help you create a compelling brand promise.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Word-of-mouth marketing is a highly effective marketing strategy for acquiring new customers without spending on social media pay-per-click advertising.
