Good brands have succinct, compelling slogans that clearly explain what makes them unique. To illustrate the point, let me bring up the example of two large retailers: a thriving one with a clear purpose and an unbeatable position (Wal-Mart), and a struggling one, grappling with identity issues and with no clear message (Sears):
In 2007, Wal-Mart adopted the slogan: “Save money. Live better.” It is a clear, concise and powerful statement, easy to understand and communicate. It is also the company’s four word mission statement. So, what did Sears do? More than a year later, it adopted the following tag line: “Life. Well spent.” I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it seems to me that Sears’ slogan is a not-so-subtle attempt to say essentially the same thing.
Sears’ slogan has three main problems:
- It came late: Wal-Mart beat them to the punch. Therefore, the slogan, far from helping Sears, positions it in a futile “follow the leader” path in a battle it cannot win.
- It is weak: Sears’ tag line is written in passive voice, as opposed to Wal-Mart’s. Any copywriter worth his or her salt will tell you that active beats passive voice every time.
- It is not credible: if somebody asked you to name a brand that helps you live the good life without spending a lot of money, which would more easily come to mind: Wal-Mart or Sears?
In summary, aside from making your slogan short (four or five words, tops) make sure it is:
- Expressed in active voice
- A concise version of your brand’s core mission (friendly memo to Sears: it helps if you have a core mission to start with
- Clearly differentiated from any of your competitors’.
What do you think?
I had no idea that WalMart even had a slogan.
So…how useful is it?
@David Hutchinson: good slogans do make a difference. While you might not have been aware of Walmart’s tag line, others are, and a good slogan repeated often helps clarify what the brand stands for.
The effects are not immediate, though. If I read Nike’s slogan “Just Do It”, it won’t by itself make me drop everything I’m doing and go buy a pair of sneakers. But over time, it helps position Nike as a brand associated to high performance athletics.
A good slogan also helps internally, by making everybody in the organization aware of the company’s purpose, clarifying priorities and making the decision making process easier.
What a great post! I’m reading your blog from downuder (Australia) and a similar thing has happened on the streets of Melbourne.
Two car companies using exactly the same building and street to advertise their vehicles.
Check it out: http://bit.ly/XHMSh
Keep the good work Mario!
Will Egan
@William Egan:
Hi Will, I checked your post…very compelling example of how difficult it is for some companies to differentiate and stay original. Thanks for your kind words.
A strong slogan is very important. It gives the customer something to remember you by. Also, if you are trying to decide between two companies and you have heard a strong slogan from one you are more than likely going to choose that one.
The Sears slogan is definitely more passive. Walmart’s new logo and slogan are stronger and positioning them to change people’s perceptions of their brand.
“Life. Well Spent”
“Life. Well Spent” isn’t that what we say at FUNERALS? Does that make their sales papers the obituary?
Having a power slogan can make all the difference, it has to be catchy, something that consumers will remember and associate with your brand immediately. It also needs to be something positive about your company so the consumer sees your company in the way that you want then to see your company. Love this example, funny how a botched slogan can bring so many negative connotations, I’m loving the one about their sales paper being the obituary.
I’m still in the process of developing my slogan — some great information here.
Thanks