Using corporate slogans to manage as well as market is common
among America's corporate giants. For 17 years, Ford used
"Quality is job one" to convince car buyers of its
emphasis on quality and to remind workers of the importance of this
characteristic.
Many other companies, including Avis ("We try harder")
and Charles Schwab ("Helping investors help themselves")
have made the most of the management value of slogans, according to
Robert W. Keidel, owner of organizational consulting firm Robert W.
Keidel Associates in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, and there's no
reason smaller companies can't do the same. In fact, he adds,
the flexibility, low cost and high rate of effectiveness of slogans
as management tools make them almost mandatory for companies of any
size.
Samets agrees. "I don't know how you can operate a
company without one," he says. The best slogans for management
purposes are miniature vision statements, Samets suggests. When
carefully crafted, they convey a company's key characteristics
to a variety of audiences, from investors and customers to
suppliers and job applicants.
Content Continues Below
In fact, this versatility is one of the primary benefits of a
slogan. A brief, catchy slogan can be used in advertisements, on
workplace posters and business cards, and even on uniforms and
corporate stationery, providing a constant reminder of what makes
the company special. Says Keidel, "The good slogans resonate
on several levels."
Among Keidel's favorite management slogans are "You
expect more from a leader" (Amoco) and "We help business
do more business" (Sprint). He's especially fond of
"We don't cut corners," used by Hartmann luggage.
"Imagine what kind of statement that makes to employees,"
he says.
Slogans are particularly effective when you're trying to
communicate a major shift in strategy. Keidel points to Nike, which
is changing its infamously audacious "Just do it" catch
phrase to the softer "I can," to try to market more shoes
and apparel to women. Similarly, Xerox's new slogan, "The
document company," describes its recent return to its roots
after forays into financial services and other unrelated areas.
Slogans may also change to reflect societal shifts, Keidel
notes. Ford, for instance, recently dropped its "Quality is
job one" because of the widespread perception that today, high
quality is a given and is no longer an important marketing
variable.
Page
1 | 2 |
3 |
4 