Slogan
A slogan is the essence of a brand strategy that makes a brief, concise statement that should be as memorable as possible for the recipient. Well-known slogans include, for example "Are you still living or are you already alive?" (IKEA). What is special about slogans is the fact that they are short and even without mentioning the product they are associated with the brand. Particularly effective slogans are even adopted in everyday language in contexts that have nothing to do with the brand itself.
General information
The word slogan originally comes from Gaelic and is composed of two terms. "Sluagh" stands for battle and "Ghairm" for reputation, combining battle cry, buzzword or even war cries. In the 20th century, this word came from English-speaking countries to Germany and has firmly established itself there. Slogans like "Just do it" have developed into timeless classics that hardly anyone does not know.
In addition to the term slogan, terms such as claims, tags or taglines are also used. The differences in meaning are marginal to non-existent. The countries in which they are used are essentially different. Taglines occur in the USA, endlines or straplines in Great Britain, Lemas is spoken of in Spain and the word signatures or slogans publicitaires is used in France.
Rethinking through slogans
A look at food discounters shows what slogans can achieve not only for customers but also for suppliers. Until 2010, they mainly advertised through the price. However, the hoped-for effect failed to materialize or declined continuously. That is why the first discounters started to look for new strategies. The slogan took on a new meaning and was intended to contribute to a fundamental image change. Instead of reducing to the price, the focus was on the shopping experience, and the aim to convey an attitude to life that would increase the quality of shopping and stimulate it far beyond the price.
The German supermarket, Edeka, acted much more creatively and sustainably with the slogan "We love food". Introduced in 2011, this slogan has not only survived to this day, but has also established itself as a unique selling point. Among other things, the slogan was successful because it included a campaign that focused on employee satisfaction and identification with Edeka. This was associated with the practice of leading customers directly there when they had questions about the location of a product, instead of pointing the finger in the right direction. This example Edeka makes it clear that a slogan can have an enormous impact if other factors are also included in the advertising strategy.
Image loss: when slogans backfire
Extreme caution is required when handling or designing slogans. The fact that good slogans seem to be taken for granted should not hide the fact that the creation of slogans is a demanding creative process that should be carefully thought through and not hastily implemented. In addition, a slogan should either be included in campaigns (see the example of Edeka) or have the ability to send a message that awakens the associations mentioned above. An example of a failed slogan is: “Come in and found out”, which is unclear and ambigious.
Significance for online marketing
Slogans can be a very successful way of designing advertising and building a positive image. However, they can also have the opposite effect if handled incorrectly. So before deciding on a slogan, it is advisable to think carefully about whether it will achieve the desired effect.