You must avoid, at all costs, the generic in your marketing. Especially these days where the internet has leveled the playing field. Look at slogans for communities anywhere. If the slogan can be applied to virtually any community, then it's too generic. Reading the slogan (which should be four words or less) should tell you, instantly, what the community is about. It should bring a picture to mind. The days of "A great place to live, work and play" are over. That's what everyone thinks about their community.
GOOD SLOGANS:
a) "Game On!" - Round Rock, Texas - The sports capital of Texas
b) "La Dolce Vita" - Pittsburg, California - a themed downtown Italian village just in the beginning stages. They won't use this until they can deliver on the promise.
c) "Artfully Yours" - Salado, Texas - the charming arts village in central Texas
d) "Jump In!" - Moses Lake, Washington - the water sports capital of the Northwest. The community is just in the beginning stages of developing the product that will support the brand.
e) "The Grand American Experience" - Rapid City, South Dakota - the grandest of American icons are here: Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, herds of wild bison at Custer State Park, the Badlands of South Dakota, famous Wall Drug, the Black Hills and famous Black Hills Gold.
BAD SLOGANS INCLUDE:
a) "East Texas. Pure and Simple." - Longview, Texas - $55,000 later, they tossed this aside for "Real East Texas Living." Both of these could fit just about any community in Eastern Texas - the largest state in the U.S.
b) "Unique by Nature" - McKinney, Texas - this could fit any town anywhere. "Unique" is the most overused word in branding. It's come to mean nothing.
c) "Naturally Connected" - Peoria, Arizona - Who ISN'T naturally connected? There are hundreds of these: "Naturally Yours," "Naturally Fun," "Nature is Our Middle Name," etc., etc.
d) "Great From the Ground Up" - Greeley, Colorado - Who isn't? Most everyone thinks this of their community. That's why they live there!
e) "Every Path Starts With Passion" - Gainesville, Florida - this sounds more like a mission statement than a brand. It also sounds like they are just starting out and are not done yet. Not ready for all of us to visit.
Do any of these slogans tell you what the community is about? Does yours? Do they bring a picture to mind? An expectation? Slogans developed in this manner may make locals feel good for a few weeks, before they become passe, doing nothing to attract new residents, visitors, or industry. They do nothing to se their communities apart from everyone else.
2 comments:
I would challenge "The Grand American Experience". Many places feel they offer a particularly "American" experience. Grand calls to mind the Grand Canyon, not the Black Hills. The American Experience could very well be Washington, DC; Philadephia, PA; or Boston, MA. Generic is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.
Good point! In fact, the top three tag lines, when tested were "The Great American Road Trip" followed by "A Real American Treasure" and then "The Grand American Experience."
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