Should Sellers Ever Follow Ad Slogan Criticism
I heard a lady entitled “design correspondent” on the radio. Eliza Williams brought into my view rising criticism of current ad slogan output.
Her two samples of the recently launched bad;
First Never Follows – Adidas
Be Legacy – Stella Artois
Her sole example of ‘good’ was Nike’s long standing Just Do It. Repeating its tale of death row inspiration. (The copywriter heard a condemned man’s final words of Let’s Do It, and the rest, as they say…)
She seemed to state five reasons why a strap can turn sour;
- tend to be three words
- slightly opaque
- not as immediate
- hashtag driven
- trying to make sense globally
So should we salespeople make sure we do not follow the trends of today’s misfiring advertisers? I blog on this fairly often, one recent time stretching to general sloganising.
Firstly, I can like treblets. Indeed Eliza’s lauded specimen is one itself.
You can take practically any small(ish) word limit and impose it on a task to mould your marvellous mantra. Triterms certainly being popular. Number Limits Optional.
Then the sibling aims of clarity and instancy. We’re not in the business of selling an over-priced commodity-esque retail good with little discernible reason for a price premium other than to claw back mountains of wasted marketing dollars. Perhaps a little obliquity can aid memorability? As with most tangents though, they still need to stay relevant and punchy. A tricky balance to nail.
What’s the bid equivalent of a hashtag? You’re not after a mere single slide intertitle, pretty design forgotten the moment the deck is shuffled on by. Project X. There’s an option. But it must be their project.
I can imagine internal meets sessions being staged to create killer deal hashtags. #IsTheBarOpenYet
And what must work globally? Normally to the point of dulled down dilution. Does what moves the chief exec similarly perk the junior operator? Yet manage to sparkle with that important shimmering dazzle.
I like client-specific words. Especially when they align neatly with stated corporate objectives of the buyer.
Whatever they aim to consign to history, execute, disrupt or knock the socks off of, then you might just have a little beauty to apply to the sub-endeavour you seek to elevate.
Made-up words can be a winner too. Can you -ing a relevant desire, acronym or even tech label? A location, engine room, department or trusted bit of admired kit that you can use as your evocative platform.
Sales Always Leads. Be Destiny.