The time has come to write a slogan for a brand new product or service. Maybe you’re just re-branding. No problem. Just call a meeting with your marketing department and tell them to get to work.

Oh, that’s right. You are your marketing department. Well, no need to look in the mirror and do those self affirmation chants. This brief guide will have you writing slogans like a marketing pro in no time.

Step 1 - Question Yourself

You’ve got to ask yourself two very simple questions to get started.

1. What are you doing? Go ahead and answer this question in the fewest number of words possible. “We are building widgets.”


2. Why are you doing it? Do the same thing with this question, but go a little deeper than making money. Basically, why are you doing this particular product or service instead of another? “We want to make the best widgets.” Or, “We are really passionate about widgets.”

Step 2 - Combine and Cut

Take your answers to those questions and put them together. You’ll likely have something much longer than a slogan. Figure out the exact thing you are trying to say. At this point, you should have a sentence that sums up your business. “We are passionate about building the best widgets in the greater Wellington area.” Certainly it doesn’t sound much like a slogan, but you’re getting there.

Step 3 - Fun Time

The most important part of this step is taking a break. Don’t sit and play with the words for hours at a time; you’ll end up driving yourself nuts and the slogan you’ll end up with won’t be any good.

So, the first part of Step 3, is put it down and walk away. Tomorrow, you’ll have a better perspective. Go about your day as usual and you’ll have plenty of brain juices floating around in your head that you don’t even know about.

The next day, you’ll have a chance to sit down and start fresh with your sentence. Take those words and make them your new slogan. You can mix things up a bit. Here are a few things to consider:

Rhyme Time: Chances are you can make a couplet, or two line rhyme, that makes your slogan memorable. Just be wary of being too cheesy.

Supreme Team: Pump yourself up and keep it simple. Some of the best slogans are short. “The best widgets. Period.”

Unique Speak: Make a new word that your product is or does. The spork was originally called the pronged spoon. A marketing genius came up with the spork and the rest is history.

If you use these simple tricks, you’ll be writing slogans that you can be proud of. No need to hire a “consultant” that will gladly take your money and give you something half as creative as what you can do on your own. Go ahead, get out your notepad and start unlocking your fullest potential now.