Slogans play a pivotal role in marketing, influencing consumer behavior and driving sales. However, some slogans are more effective than others. To be more specific, we suggest using fluid slogans for your brands. Fluid slogans stand out for their ability to effortlessly integrate into dialogues, leaving a lasting impact. Read on to find out how.
Below are slogans of 2 famous automobile brands. Would you guess their corresponding brands?
A. Sheer Driving Pleasure
B. There Is No Substitute
Your one minute starts now.
The answers are:
A. Sheer Driving Pleasure: BMW
B. There Is No Substitute: Porsche
Do you get all right? Chances are you got A correct and could not figure out B. That’s because B speaks nothing about their products. BMW is known as the ultimate driving machine. Slogan A drives that selling point home.
So slogans can be roughly classified into 2 types based on the way the brands connect with customers. Type A focuses on the product. It speaks directly to consumers’ practical needs. In BMW’s case, if you are into driving, please buy a BMW, because BMW gives you sheer driving pleasure. The following examples all speak loud about their products.
Energizer: “It keeps going… and going… and going.” (long lasting batteries)
Walmart: “Everyday low prices.” (cheap products)
Domino’s Pizza: “30 minutes, or it’s free.” (fast pizza delivery)
Type B connects with consumers via emotions, values and vision. As in Porsche’s case, “There Is No Substitute” evokes a sense of individuality and uniqueness. If you want to express yourself in a unique way, Porsche is for you. Other similar slogans include:
Ford: “Feel the difference”
Hyundai: “Drive your way”
Samsung: “Imagine the possibilities”
It's often the case that sellers don't realize they behave online in exactly the same way their potential customers will. Would you buy a Ford because it makes you feel different (assuming it does make you feel different)? Hardly! That’s why we don’t favor Type B slogans.
You may argue that these are all well known brands. Surely their slogans contribute to their sales. While there is no hard evidence proving or disproving that, we encourage dropshippers and ecommerce sellers to use Type A slogans because they speak directly to consumers’ needs. You may talk about being different, being entrepreneurial, protecting the environment all day long. But if the product doesn’t satisfy one’s need, one won’t buy it. At the same time, some dropshippers and ecommerce sellers want to create emotional resonance so that they can sell at a premium. That can be done, but a hollow slogan helps little in that.
Next, how do you know if a slogan is good for your brand? There are 2 more criteria besides being short, simple and specific. Firstly, a slogan is good if it feels odd when the brand is changed. For example, BMW’s slogan is “Sheer Driving Pleasure”. Imagine changing the brand to Mercedes Benz: Mercedes Benz for sheer driving pleasure. It does sound odd, doesn’t it? That is a good slogan for BMW.
How about Samsung’s “Imagine the possibilities”? Imagine changing the brand to LG: LG for imagining the possibilities. It fits well too, doesn’t it? Hence, “Imagine the possibilities” is probably not a good slogan for Samsung.
A second criteria is the fluidity of the slogan in a conversation. A good slogan seamlessly fits into discussions, enhancing brand recall and word-of-mouth promotion. Imagine these 2 conversations:
Joe: “I saw your new BMW. That’s nice!
Adam: “Yes, got it last week.”
Joe: “Any particular reason you pick BMW?”
Adam: “For its sheer driving pleasure!”
Kate: “I saw your new Samsung phone. That’s nice!
Steve: “Yes, got it last week.”
Kate: “Any particular reason you pick Samsung?”
Steve: “You can imagine the possibilities with Samsung!”
BMW’s slogan flows naturally in the conversation, while Kate would feel at a loss when she heard Steve’s response. BMW’s slogan is fluid whereas Samsung’s is not. Fluidity is crucial because it facilitates word-of-mouth promotion of your brand. It makes your customers’ life easier when they recommend your products to their family and friends. Just like Adam did in the conversation above, he used the slogan word for word as he didn't have to compose himself. Yet, it is often overlooked. Just as the case above shows, even brands as big as Samsung uses a non-fluid slogan.
How to find a fluid slogan then? There are 2 sources. The first is to ask your loyal customers what words they use when they recommend your products to others. The other is to ask your top salespeople for the most effective keywords that lead to a sale. Once you have that, polish and refine the line. That will be your fluid slogan.
Therefore, would you be open to having a fluid slogan for your brand? This may sound unorthodoxy. (We have other unorthodoxy ideas like the Brailsford Principle and category names) But fluid slogans blend naturally into conversations and leave a lasting impression. In other words, it speaks volumes about your brand. That’s the common goal we all aim at.
