Advertising slogans are short phrases used in advertising campaigns to generate publicity and unify a company's marketing strategy. The phrases may be used to attract attention to a distinctive product feature or reinforce a company's brand.
Etymology and nomenclature
According to the 1913
Webster's Dictionary, a derives from the Scottish Gaelic "", a
battle cry. Its contemporary definition denotes a distinctive advertising motto or advertising phrase used by any entity to convey a purpose or ideal. This is also known as a
catchphrase.
, or
Tagline, are American terms describing brief public communications to promote certain products and services. In the UK, they are called
end lines or
straplines. In Japan, advertising slogans are called kyatchi kopī or kyatchi furēzu.
Format
Most corporate
Advertising are short, memorable phrases, often between three and five words.
Slogans adopt different tones to convey different meanings. For example, funny slogans can enliven conversation and increase memorability.
Slogans often unify diverse corporate advertising pieces across different mediums.
Slogans may be accompanied by logos, brand names, or musical jingles.
History
In August 1859, Thomas Beecham, founder of the British firm
Beecham Group, created a slogan for Beecham's Pills: "Beechams Pills: Worth a guinea a box", which is considered to be the world's first advertising slogan, helping the company become a global brand.
The phrase, which first appeared in a Beechams advertisement in the
St Helens Intelligencer, was first said to be uttered by a satisfied lady purchaser from St Helens, Lancashire, the founder's home town.
Use
Some
slogans are created for long term corporate identity processes, while others are interested in specific limited-time campaigns. However, since some
resonate with the
public with persistence, many advertising slogans retain their influence even after general use is discontinued. If an advertising slogan enters into the public vernacular, word-of-mouth communication may increase consumer awareness of the product and extend an ad campaign's lifespan,
or cause a company to adopt it for long term advertising and identity.
Slogans that associate emotional responses or evoke recollections of memories increase their likelihood of being adopted by the public and shared.
If a slogan is adopted by the public, it can have a notable influence on everyday social interaction. Slogans can serve as connection points between community members as individuals share pithy taglines in conversation.
Social control
Advertising slogans as a system of social control include devices similar to
, catchwords, and
.
["Slogans As A Means Of Social Control". By Frederick E. Lumley. Papers and Proceedings of the American Sociological Society, Volume 16, 1921. p. 121–134.] The use of slogans may be examined insofar as the slogans elicit unconscious and unintentional responses.
The ongoing argument
Quantifying the effects of an effective, or ineffective, ad campaign can prove challenging to scholars. Critics argue taglines are a self-gratifying, unnecessary form of corporate branding that is neither memorable nor pithy.
However, proponents argue if taglines enter everyday public discourse, the company's market influence could exponentially increase.
Functional slogans
A marketing slogan can play a part in the interplay between rival companies.
["Trade Marking Of Canned Products". By Waldon Fawcett. Canning Age, Volume 1. National Trade Journals, Incorporated, 1920. p.32.] A functional slogan usually:
[The Effectiveness of a Slogan in Advertising. Engineering and Contracting, Volume 29. Myron C. Clark Publishing Company, 1908. p.315.][" Trade-Marks, Trade Names, Slogans and Distinctive Package Designs." Making Advertising Pay. By Harold Francis Eldridge. p.62.][ Building Supply News, Volume 12. Cahners Publishing Company, 1922. p.104.][ The Mind of the Buyer: A Psychology of Selling. By Harry Dexter Kitson. Macmillan, New York, 1921, .][ Effective extension circular letters: how to prepare and use them. By Henry Walter Gilbertson. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1941.]
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states product benefits (or brand benefits) for users (or Buyer)
[ Everything I Know about Marketing I Learned From Google. By Aaron Goldman. McGraw Hill Professional, 2010, .]
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implies a distinction between it and other firms' products
["Making Better Box, Not Cheaper Boxes" Ought to be Slogan of the Day — Much Valuable Data Available. Packages, Volume 22, December Issue, 1919, p.21.]—with constraints
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makes a Simple aspect, concise,
[Including all important information.] Well-defined, and appropriate Press statement
-
is either , or has a distinct "personality"
[Or, an externally evident aspect.]
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gives a credible impression of a brand or product
[See also: Brand recognition.]
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makes the consumer experience an emotion; or, creates a need or desire
[See also: Aspirational brand.]
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is hard to forget—it adheres to one's memory
[Whether one likes it or not; especially if accompanied by mnemonic devices (such as , ditties, or film).]
The business sloganeering process communicates the value of a product or service to customers, to sell the product or service. It is a business function for attracting customers.
See also
Notes
Further reading
External articles
