In The Know

A great campaign slogan should encapsulate the essence of your message and resonate with your audience. It should effectively leave a lasting impression on constituents and serve as a rallying cry for your cause. But coming up with such a phrase, one that’s memorable, marketable, and effective all at once, can prove tricky. 

On that note, below are seven tips you can use to help you craft a campaign slogan that makes an impact: 

Keep It Short and Simple

During a comprehensive study of slogan recall, researchers investigated how well participants could remember 150 shortlisted slogans. The results suggested that three variables made the biggest impact on long-term retention, with conciseness having perhaps the most significance.

Researchers found that the complexity and use of jingles didn’t have a measurable impact on slogan recall. However, participants had an easier time remembering short, snappy slogans that were used for a long duration. These findings boil down to a single point: You need to keep your slogan short and to the point. Don’t waste time trying to create a multi-sentence jingle that’s catchy.   

Market It Frequently

Marketing budget and usage duration were the other key drivers of recall identified in the study mentioned above. Since you will probably only use your slogan for a single campaign, your usage duration may be somewhat low. You’ll have to make up for it by upping your marketing budget and ensuring constituents encounter your phrase frequently.

Incorporate your slogan into most, if not all, of your campaign communications, including video, audio, written assets, and even social media posts in the form of a hashtag. The more times people encounter your slogan, the better the chances that they will remember it. 

Make It Meaningful

A memorable slogan will resonate with your audience on an emotional level. It should convey a clear message or idea that speaks to the values, needs, or aspirations of the people you’re trying to reach. With that in mind, consider what’s most important to your audience and how your campaign aligns with those priorities. 

Former President Obama’s campaigns, for instance, made excellent use of meaningful, concise slogans, two of the most well-known being “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In.” The two were both succinct and meaningful, eliciting strong emotional responses from voters. 

Incorporate a Call to Action

A strong campaign slogan should also inspire action. By incorporating a call to action (CTA) into your slogan, you can turn the phrase into a rallying cry that mobilizes your supporters to action and encourages them to take the next step, be it voting, donating, or volunteering. 

A CTA can be direct, like “Vote for Change,” or more subtle, like “Join the Movement.” In either case, the key is to make sure the phrase motivates people to do something in support of your campaign. 

Use Strong, Positive Language

The language you choose for your slogan can significantly impact how it’s received. Language that conveys hope, strength, or progress can, in turn, uplift and motivate your audience. 

However, election cycles can get extremely heated, and there may come a time when you have to draw attention to the shortcomings of your political opponent. At the same time, it is vital that you understand that your campaign slogan is not the medium for addressing someone else’s failures. Make your slogan about your principles and campaign, not your opponent’s, and focus on how you intend to unite voters for the good of your jurisdiction. 

Ensure It’s Timeless

It can be tempting to create a slogan that’s trendy or tied to current events, but don’t do it. A truly memorable slogan should be timeless. In other words, it should be relevant not just for the duration of your campaign but beyond. 

Consider future political aspirations and potential reelection bids. While you may tweak your slogan for your next campaign, you don’t want to completely reinvent yourself. Phrasing and verbiage that stand the test of time will allow you to build on the foundation you form now for future campaigns.

Avoid slang and pop culture references, focusing instead on universal themes and messages. A slogan that speaks to enduring values or long-term goals is far more likely to continue resonating with your audience for years to come.

Test It With Your Audience

Before finalizing your slogan, test it with your intended audience. What may sound great in a brainstorming session might fall flat with voters. Gather feedback from a diverse group of supporters and focus groups. And get your team members involved, too. Your goal here is to determine whether people understand and remember your message easily, as well as to find out what sort of emotions your phrase elicits. 

Don’t become married to your ideas or slogans. If the phrase doesn’t resonate with your test group, be willing to pivot. Do your best to fine-tune the slogan before you run your first set of campaign ads. 

Craft a Great Slogan Using Aristotle Data Insights

Crafting a worthwhile slogan requires an understanding of the pain points and concerns of your constituents. And that’s where Aristotle can help. 

As a leader in political data, Aristotle maintains an extensive database that includes hundreds of millions of voter and consumer files. We also provide user-friendly and robust analytics tools designed to help you derive meaningful insights from the data we collect. Schedule a demo of Aristotle today and learn more about the needs of your constituents.