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Finding a Slogan That Works for Your Business

By Joe Dinoffer

Companies have names, but they are remembered for the type of service they provide. This is where slogans come in. Think of slogans as subtitles to movies, such as the Star Wars or Harry Potter series. The title of each edition contains a subtitle such as Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith or Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The subtitle is what viewers come to see.

The larger and more diverse the company, the more challenging it can be to create a slogan that captures the essence of the company. Slogans for large companies, for instance Nike with its highly effective “Just Do It” campaign, generally incorporate them into larger advertising efforts.

However, if your company is small — even just a one-man show — a solid slogan can have a big impact. I’m sure you can come up with some worthy slogans for your own business, but here are a few examples for various industry jobs:

• Court construction company: “The professionals who build courts” or “We take pride in building perfect courts.”
• Junior tennis program: “Tennis builds character” or “Where learning tennis is just the beginning.”
• Tennis retailer: “Serving you is our first serve” or “Where service and value play doubles.”
• League organizer: “Building games and friendships” or “Where tennis and fun play together.”
• Tennis academy: “The home of champions” or “Teaching the skills of tennis and life.”

A recipe for success

Naming a company and finding the right slogan is like finding the perfect ingredients for a gourmet recipe. Just like finding the freshest items on a shopping list is critical, nailing down the right slogan is similarly important. A good slogan should create a positive customer reaction emotionally, it should be energizing, and it should create some empathy with potential customers.

Emotional: As sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr says, “Emotions run the show.” The message created in a slogan needs to trigger a positive emotional response in your customers. Some of the possible emotions to convey include confidence, integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness.

Energizing: Think of a slogan as a quick jolt of caffeine. It should energize at the same time as educate about the mission of your company or service. If your message is electric, chances are it will be remembered. Use powerful words like Leaders, Unique, Fun, Friends, Creative, or Competition.

Empathetic: A good slogan is also clear and decisive, like the higher quality of high-definition television. There should be nothing vague or fuzzy about it. Every word in a good slogan must contribute to the overall message. Remember, a good slogan brings your company’s purpose and mission into brilliantly clear focus.

A good slogan is nothing short of a recipe for success. Use the ideas here as a checklist to see if your recipe contains the right ingredients.

Of course, a great slogan will only stand the test of time if your actions in running your business live up to the standard your slogan sets. If your business can’t live up to the slogan you choose, it will hurt your business more than help it.

See all articles by Joe Dinoffer

About the Author

Joe Dinoffer is a Master Professional for both the PTR and USPTA. He speaks frequently at national and international tennis teacher workshops as a member of both the HEAD/Penn and Reebok National Speaker's Bureaus. He is president of Oncourt Offcourt Inc. and has written 16 books and produced more than 30 instructional videos.

From the March 2007 issue
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