How to write a brand slogan: the method, the five kinds and 30 examples
A good slogan says in one sentence what does not fit in the logo: what you promise and to whom. A bad one says “quality and professionalism”, which is nothing. Here is how to write one that lasts, with a method, examples and the tests that check it.
Slogan, tagline, description
- The tagline sits beside the logo, for years, and says what the brand is: “Just do it”. Three to five words.
- The campaign slogan changes with the campaign and sells something specific now: “Autumn savings on everything warm”.
- The short description is the full sentence on the website and on Google: “Speciality coffee roasted weekly in Bristol”. It is not a slogan, it is information.
This guide is about the tagline, the one that stays. In everyday language it is called a slogan, so we use both.
The five kinds, with examples
The promise
What it does
Says what you get, concretely
Examples
“Delivered by tomorrow morning.” “Roasted today, with you tomorrow.” “Zero hidden fees.”
The position
What it does
Says why you and not another
Examples
“The only cafe in the neighbourhood open from 6.” “Accounting for freelancers only.” “Tailoring, not garments.”
The attitude
What it does
Says how you are, not what you do
Examples
“No hurry.” “Cut once, worn for years.” “Made slowly.”
The benefit
What it does
Says what changes for the customer
Examples
“Sleep better from tomorrow.” “Three minutes well spent.” “Less paperwork, more time.”
The descriptor
What it does
Says what you are, when the name does not
Examples
“The sleep clinic.” “Sourdough bakery.” “Interior architecture studio.”
The six-step method
- 01Start from positioning. Take the promise and the differentiator from the brand strategy. The slogan is a wording of those, not a new idea.
- 02Write 40 candidates, without judging. Eight for each kind in the table. Most will be bad; that is normal, they are the raw material.
- 03Cut everything a competitor could say. “Guaranteed quality”, “close to you”, “passion for detail” fall here. If the slogan works on the shop next door, it is not yours.
- 04Cut everything over seven words. A slogan is remembered after hearing it once.
- 05Read what is left out loud, next to the name. “Meridian Coffee. Three minutes well spent.” If it sounds like a sentence a person would say, good; if it sounds like an advert, keep working.
- 06Test the three that remain on five customers: “What do you think this company does?”. The winner is the one whose answer comes closest to the truth.
The tests that eliminate weak slogans
- The competitor test: could someone in the same category use it without lying? Eliminate.
- The abstraction test: does it contain “quality”, “excellence”, “professionalism”, “solutions”, “innovation”? Eliminate.
- The phone test: can you say it on the phone without explaining it? If not, eliminate.
- The translation test: if you also sell in another language, does it work in both or do you need two? Decide now.
- The sign test: does it fit on the shop sign, under the name, at a legible size? A 12-word slogan does not.
The common mistakes
- The list slogan: “Quality, reliability, promptness.” Three abstractions do not make one concrete thing.
- A slogan in a foreign language for a local audience, for no reason. It sounds like an import, not a brand.
- The pun that needs explaining. If only the person explaining it laughs, it does not work.
- The slogan that promises what you do not deliver. “Same-day delivery” with three-day delivery is a complaint, not a slogan.
- Changing the slogan with every campaign. The tagline stays; campaigns have their own slogans.
Where it is used
Under the logo on the website and on the large materials (sign, Facebook cover, first page of the deck), in the Google description, in the email signature. Not in the Instagram avatar, not on the business card at 6 points, not next to the 32-pixel logo. The rule: the slogan appears where there is room to read it, otherwise it is absent.
If you want a starting point, RHAM's copy engine writes six slogan candidates from the brand's strategy, in its tone, as material for step two of the method. Step three stays yours.
Frequently asked
- How long should a slogan be?
- Between two and seven words. Under two it says nothing; over seven it is not remembered and does not fit on the sign. Most slogans that have lasted have three or four.
- Do I have to have a slogan?
- No. A descriptive name (“The Sourdough Bakery”) does not need one; an abstract name (“Meridian”) does, at least at the start, so people learn what you do. A weak slogan is worse than none.
- Can I register the slogan as a trademark?
- Yes, if it is distinctive (it does not merely describe the product) and not already registered. It is filed as a word mark in your classes. Descriptive slogans (“the best coffee”) are refused.
- Is the slogan written before or after the logo?
- After positioning and before the logo, ideally. The slogan clarifies what you promise, and the logo is drawn knowing that. In practice they can be done in parallel, but never the slogan after the logo is already on the sign with no room left for it.
Read next
- Brand strategy: the complete guide, with examplesWhat brand strategy actually is, the five decisions it is made of, and how to write each one on a single page, audience, positioning, promise, personality and tone of voice.
- How to name a brand: a method, the tests, and the trapsA five-step naming process, the five types of name and what each one costs you, the tests that eliminate weak candidates, and the availability checks to run before you spend anything.
- The brand brief: what it must contain, with a template and a worked exampleThe nine questions a good brief answers, a template ready to fill in, a real example for a coffee shop, what does not belong in a brief and how to use it with a designer, an agency or a generator.