"Just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy!”

“Just do it!”

“Probably the best beer in the world.”

We all know them, and we all have our favourites. Whether it brings to mind a much-loved advertisement, or excites your tastebuds with thoughts of chocolatey goodness, slogans are powerful marketing tools. Unfortunately, according to a study by Millward Brown, the use of slogans in advertising has been declining over the last 20 years.

The study, however, also found the slogans make a difference in advertisements, and generate more interest from the audience. The Knowledge Point study, harnessing Millward Brown’s global database of ads, found that two-thirds of all ads included slogans.

Slogans are used in various ways, from including the brand name to being made into jingles, and are often reused from previous campaigns. In fact, the study found that ads with slogans that part are of a jingle receive higher enjoyment while slogans that have been used before also enjoy better branding.

If your new marketing plan for this year was to create a more memorable brand, a slogan might be a good solution. However, as the study finds from researching slogans within their database, successful slogans can be summarised with similar traits.

Here are some tips from the study on how to create slogans that can help boost your brand:

• Slogan that are most likely to be remembered are included in a jingle.
• Slogans should be relevant and meaningful to the brand, its benefits or its history
• Slogans used to make sense of the whole ad are memorable because it brings about a resolution
• Catchy slogans that use rhyme or alliteration to associate with the brand are easily remembered
• Creative slogans that evoke memorable images or stimulate thinking have strong staying power
• Distinct slogans, whether it contains an unusual word or used in an unfamiliar context, are effective too.

With evidence from the above three slogans (which, by the way, are some of the favourites here at the Marketing team), once a slogan catches on, it can have a long shelf life. Tests in the United States have also seen an increase in the reuse of former slogans.

It might not be easy to sum your brand up in one catchy phrase, but when its done well, you’ll be sitting on a winner for the long-run!

What is your favourite slogan? Leave us a comment and tell us the story behind the slogan for your brand.