Territorial lines of corporate slogan development are blurring as more PR professionals are securing their seats at the brainstorming table, with marketing and executive management by being up front and candid about the need to re-work corporate identity statements or determining whether one is necessary altogether.
Since these umbrella mini-vision statements dictate the tone of the company's communications to three crucial audiences - customers, employees and shareholders - PR insight is a must.
"We don't always need to conduct formal research to understand what's working, we're on the front lines directly interacting with the media, employees and customers. We have an obligation to be honest with senior management on corporate identity issues," says Tim O'Brien, director of communications for Tollgrade Communications, a company that designs and markets test access and test extension products for the telecommunications and cable industries.
Taking a New Position
Earlier this month, Tollgrade unveiled a new theme line and simplified logo that better communicated its services to customers (telecommunications companies), investors and employees. The old position statement, "Solutions for the network of tomorrow," was dated and most effective for print-focused campaigns. Its new slogan, "Network Assurance Simplified," better emphasizes Tollgrade's competitive distinction in simplifying the network assurance process for customers, according to O'Brien.
The Art of Brainstorming Slogans Developing the right slogan, is an art but one that can be accomplished with some practical guidelines, says Robert Keidel, an organizational consultant based in Wyncote, Pa., who has focused on corporate identity strategy for the last five years and written a book on the subject, Seeing Organizational Patterns. Although every organization is different, the most effective slogans will draw upon its resources in strategic planning, marketing and PR, and executive management, according to Keidel. Some of his tips for crafting effective slogan messages include:
Source: Robert Keidel Associates, 215/576-5823 |
As a relatively small company employing 200 people, the theme line strategy process for the Cheswicke, Pa.-based company was very informal and involved input from the CEO, corporate communications and marketing communications departments.
But the key is having a PR-sensitive CEO, says O'Brien. The three-weeks-long brainstorming sessions last November were productive because the CEO was open to hearing about the weaknesses of the old theme line and the need for a multifaceted corporate identity with marketing applications for the Web, A/V promotions, print campaigns and brochures and stationery.
Relying on its rapport with customers and investors, O'Brien's department was able to identify the "common denominator" messages that would appeal most to Tollgrade's core audiences. Rolled out on Feb. 1, its new logo and theme line are being used in all of its internal and external marketing materials.
Slogans? No Thank You
Sometimes committing to a corporate theme line can be more problematic than visionary, according to Parke Fisler, director of creative strategies for BBK Communications, a healthcare PR/advertising agency in Newton, Mass.
The agency, which launched a brand identity campaign for Synergy Health and Fitness Center (Exeter, N.H.) last November, had to build awareness not only for the center but for the new category of medically based health and fitness in the region.
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The decision to nix a slogan was based on two reasons: the agency was creating a new category and therefore educating on a new fitness concept rather than positioning Synergy against competitors; and the client, Exeter Hospital, was unsure about Synergy's fitness identity.
When BBK got the Synergy account, the center had not yet been built so it was more concept than reality and required educating consumers to a new approach to fitness and wellness that involved supervision by healthcare professionals. The first order of business was getting the client to agree on how to best communicate the center's services.
Exeter wanted to push the center's connection to the hospital, using a conservative medically-based approach. But the agency countered that "people don't look at gyms like they do cardiograms," says Fisler.
The marketing compromise centered around a "no brain, no gain" approach that took a more intelligent tone than the vanity-based messages of typical fitness clubs. But instead of looking to an all-encompassing slogan to communicate this concept and corporate mission, BBK opted to rely on a series of print and radio advertising that emphasize the center's smarter, more personalized approach to achieving health and fitness goals.
"Sometimes slogans can be overly formulaic and too many campaigns do it just to do it. They work best when they carve out a niche and personality," says Fisler, who says the agency has no immediate plans to develop a theme line for Synergy while its category is so new. (Tollgrade Communications, Tim O'Brien, 412/274-2156, ext. 347; BBK Communications, Parke Fisler, 617/630-4477)