David McLean

Co-authors Dan and Chip Heath have re-released their book, Made to Stick and in this month’s Fast Company offer up some helpful advice on slogans and the people who can’t seem to avoid writing them.

According to the Heaths some sloganeers are in denial. Those are the ones who say they write “tag lines.” Think black t-shirt, sport coat and hair combed in the shape of a flame. Well, that’s not really fair. I myself, in my frumpy white button-downs, have fallen into the slogan trap from time to time.

Basically, their point is that slogans don’t win trust and don’t position a product as effectively as telling a story does. They’re clever and catchy, but cute slogans inherently make us wonder what’s really behind them.

It’s not that slogans should never be used, say the Heaths. For a major consumer product, with very little difference from its competitor, a slogan gives and emotional reason to affiliate with the brand. But for most other marketing, they suggest being more descriptive.

It’s always nice to feel validated by thought leaders like the authors of Made to Stick, so I’ll show one example of a King’s English client who successfully told his story by repeating the same headline—Forget everything you thought you knew about building a custom home—in every ad.

Otey Construction weathered a very down housing year by clearly positioning itself as the custom builder who did things differently. While spec homes in upscale communities languished on the market, Otey custom home sales were fairly steady.