I saw this post (’32 Honest Company Slogans), a few days back, and it made me smile.
However, a thought popped into my head as I was going through the funny alternative slogans, all for big brands: some of them are just a bit of a giggle – a sarcastic swipe. But … some of them have a real ring of truth to them in terms of how that brand is actually perceived by us – the consumer.
The following ‘honest slogans’ had me nodding my head, but – for the brand in question – not in a good way:
LinkedIn – Connect with people for no reason at all.
Hummer – Firmly plant your carbon footprint.
Old Spice – Smell like grandpa.
The LinkedIn slogan marks it out as a waste of time.
The Hummer slogan denotes ‘if you want to give the impression you don’t give a sh*t about the environment’.
The Old Spice slogan says that everyone thinks it’s a dated/old-fashioned product.
You could argue that, as big brands, why should LinkedIn, Hummer, or Old Spice give a fig about underlying public perception?
Well, without that perception, they could be even bigger. They may be losing out on business through a refusal to correct people’s image of their brand.
There’s a subtle line between a joke (Pizza Hut – We have a salad bar for some reason), and a genuine problem with your brand’s image.
Even if your business is just you – as a sole trader – you still have to consider these things.
There are many elements of my personality, and the way I work, that people can poke fun at, but … if I start to hear a comment about me that’s negative (and comes up frequently), and would stop someone from hiring me, I’ve moved from ‘that’s funny’ to ‘that’s affecting how people view my writing’.
Keep an eye on your brand image: be mindful not to let a bit of banter turn into something that needs to be addressed.