How to Create a Slogan: The Perfect Guide

A slogan makes your brand more recognizable and memorable. It captures what’s appealing about your brand in a few words. Writing a catchy motto is easier than you think. Follow these steps to make your business slogan one that gets results.

“A diamond is forever.” “Snap, Crackle, Pop.” “Finger lickin’ good.” “Because you’re worth it.” “America runs on Dunkin.”

These are just a few examples some of the most popular brand slogans from industry giants in the United States. You might instantly visualize the product just by hearing the slogan and thinking of the company. That’s exactly what the marketing teams working for DeBeers, Rice Krispies, Kentucky Fried Chicken, L’Oréal Paris, and Dunkin’ Donuts were hoping would happen. 

Big corporations pay their marketing teams handsomely to come up with the perfect business slogan that will make people remember their brand. In marketing, it’s called brand awareness or recognition, and it’s one of the most important metrics marketers and customers watch.

As a small business owner, you don’t have the resources big companies have. In fact, you may be the marketing “team,” which means you’re stuck devising your business motto all on your own. But don’t fret.

You don’t need to come up with a phrase that will become world-famous. You can make a memorable slogan and build brand awareness for your local business by focusing on the customers you want to reach and following these steps.

What is a slogan, and why is it important?

A brand slogan is a short, memorable phrase that captures the essence of a brand and communicates its unique value proposition. Think of it as a quick snapshot of what your business stands for and what it offers. A well-crafted slogan is a crucial element of your brand’s identity, helping to differentiate your business from competitors.

In a world where the average person is bombarded with over 10,000 brand messages per day, a unique and effective slogan can make your brand stand out, build recognition, and create an emotional connection with your target audience. It’s not just about being catchy; it’s about being memorable and meaningful.

Characteristics of a Memorable Slogan

Creating a memorable slogan involves several key characteristics. First and foremost, a good slogan should be short and concise, often consisting of just a few words. This makes it easy to remember and repeat.

Creativity and originality are also essential; your slogan should use engaging and attention-grabbing language. It must be relevant to your brand and resonate with your target audience, clearly communicating a message that aligns with their needs and desires.

Additionally, a memorable slogan should be consistent with your brand’s personality and tone, reinforcing your overall identity and messaging. Think of popular brand slogans like Nike’s “Just Do It” or Apple’s “Think Different” — they’re short, impactful, and perfectly aligned with their brand’s ethos.

Tips to Create a Good Slogan

There isn’t a single “perfect way” to create a slogan for your company. Some entrepreneurs get lucky and the perfect slogan just “comes to them” in the shower or while they’re folding laundry on the weekend. Others spend hours brainstorming, methodically working to find the right words. Both approaches can be perfectly valid.

But no matter where your inspiration comes from, here are some tips to make your slogan making efforts a success.

Start with your brand’s logo

A good business slogan works hand-in-hand with your logo. Your logo is the visual symbol of your brand. When you create a slogan, you make a short, memorable phrase that conveys what your brand is about and what people get from it. A well-crafted slogan should also reflect your brand’s personality, ensuring it resonates deeply with your ideal customers.

The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Unless all your advertising happens on the radio, you need a top-notch logo before the slogan. Take Walmart, for example. The company uses its logo with and without its slogan, “Save money. Live better.” But looking at the two together shows a lot of intentionality. They were obviously designed together.

RELATED: Ten Tips for Choosing a Logo

Keep it simple

Most people who do creative work professionally live by one overarching rule — keep it simple. Have you heard the phrase, “less is more?” It’s not a famous company slogan. It’s the first rule of design and copywriting. Clutter and wordiness cause confusion.

Apply that same principle to your slogan. The best slogans have few words. Most of the famous examples we’ve shown above have between 4 and 6 words. So you’ll need to pack a lot of punch into a little space so you can create an impactful slogan that aligns with your brand’s identity.

Use small words

The average American reads at a seventh- to eighth-grade reading level, but you’ll notice that the most famous slogans use much simpler words than that. “It’s everywhere you want to be,” a former slogan for Visa, used words that kids younger than the fourth grade would know. Same with Nike. “Just Do It” uses words that even young children would understand.

So to get started, make a list of short words that describe your brand. What does your company do, and how is it different from your competitors? What need does your business fill? What emotion do customers want to feel after acquiring your type of product or service? List words that describe your client base and what you, as the company founder, are passionate about. Remember to use those power words.

Next, pull up an online thesaurus and find some other words that might work. Remember to keep them simple enough that any grade school student can understand them.

Looking at your word list, which ones seem to jump off the page at you? Which make your customer envision reaching their goals? Those are probably the ones you’ll end up using.

Finally, start writing. Keep it short and simple. Remember the slogan, “Got Milk?” It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Avoid complicating your slogan.

Make it roll off the tongue

If your slogan is easy to say, it’s probably easy to remember. Gillette’s slogan, “The best a man can get,” is easy to say. Same with Disneyland, “The happiest place on earth.” If you can say it easily, you can remember it easily.

You want your slogan to be easy to say so it can turn into word of mouth advertising for your brand.

Use power words or phrases for a memorable slogan

Power words or phrases invoke emotion. Look through the business slogans we’ve already listed. Words like, “happy” or “Do it,” or Calvin Klein’s slogan, “Between love and madness lies obsession” all evoke powerful responses from the people that hear them. Calvin Klein’s is provocative and makes you think of passion. Disneyland’s “Happiest place on earth” makes people think of fond childhood moments.

Test your slogans

Once you’re done writing, pick your favorite three slogans and put together an informal poll. Ask your customers, family, and friends to pick their favorite of the three. Don’t explain them or provide any other context. Remember that you won’t be there to explain the slogan to every person who reads it, so it has to work without you providing any context.

You’ll likely have a clear winner once you ask enough people. Find as many as you can. You could use a free service like SurveyMonkey or Jotform Survey Maker to collect feedback.

Stuck? Use a slogan generator

If you just can’t get the creative juices flowing, don’t be afraid to try out an online slogan maker for help. These tools can help you generate slogans quickly by just typing in one or two words related to your business. Odds are, these tools will generate plenty of slogans that just don’t work, but you might find that the tool gives you a perfect slogan. It might even inspire the perfect one instead.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Slogan

When crafting a slogan, there are several pitfalls to avoid. One common mistake is making the slogan too long or complicated. Remember, a slogan should be short, concise, and easy to remember and repeat.

Another mistake is creating a slogan that doesn’t resonate with your brand or target audience. Your slogan should clearly communicate a message that aligns with your brand’s unique value proposition and speaks to your audience’s needs. Avoid generic or clichéd phrases; instead, strive for originality and creativity.

Lastly, ensure your slogan is consistent with your brand’s personality and tone. A slogan that feels out of sync with your brand can confuse customers and dilute your messaging. Keep it simple, relevant, and true to your brand’s identity.

What if I don’t want a slogan?

Don’t feel like your business has to have a slogan. Some brands and industries don’t see a need, and that’s ok. Take fashion, for example. What’s Michael Kors’s slogan? How about Chanel or Coach? These brands don’t really have an all-encompassing slogan. They might have tag lines for specific product lines or for their holiday marketing, but their brand power alone is impactful enough. If you serve a niche market, a slogan may not be necessary.

Additionally, if you don’t rely heavily on traditional marketing, you might be able to get by without a slogan. For example, some service businesses may not find it necessary because word of mouth advertising generates so many of their business leads. So if you don’t want a slogan or you don’t think your brand needs one, don’t feel pressured to do it.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.