Story-Teller
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- Feb 22, 2009
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MILLION DOLLAR PHRASES
“You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.”
—Pepsodent advertising slogan
Why are some companies more memorable than others? Why do some products climb to the top of the pack, while similar products of the same quality lag behind? One of the factors that makes a company successful is its “ownership” of a specific position in the public’s mind. Often, that position can be described in a catch phrase that is almost universally associated with the company or product. For example, when you hear “The Real Thing,” you think of Coca-Cola. When you hear “Absolutely, positively overnight,” you think of Federal Express. Even a common phrase such as “pizza delivery” has meaning—many people think of Domino’s Pizza because of its original thirty-minute delivery guarantee. Which rental car company tries harder? What washer repairman is lonely? Who flies the friendly skies? Where’s the beef?
These phrases are worth millions of dollars because they are easily and effectively locked into the consumer’s mind. Marketers may try for decades to capture the consumer’s attention with cute, funny, or feature-laced advertising, but it seems that these phrases are elusive. It’s amazing that companies sometimes abandon their million-dollar phrases, such as “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is,” “See the USA in your Chevrolet,” and others. For most companies, another memorable phrase will never be as effective.
CONSIDER THIS: What catchy phrase describes a major benefit or feature of your product? Do you have one that sets your product apart from the rest? If not, search for one. If you have one, recognize it as a treasure, and abandon it at your own risk.
Submitted by Richard
“You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.”
—Pepsodent advertising slogan
Why are some companies more memorable than others? Why do some products climb to the top of the pack, while similar products of the same quality lag behind? One of the factors that makes a company successful is its “ownership” of a specific position in the public’s mind. Often, that position can be described in a catch phrase that is almost universally associated with the company or product. For example, when you hear “The Real Thing,” you think of Coca-Cola. When you hear “Absolutely, positively overnight,” you think of Federal Express. Even a common phrase such as “pizza delivery” has meaning—many people think of Domino’s Pizza because of its original thirty-minute delivery guarantee. Which rental car company tries harder? What washer repairman is lonely? Who flies the friendly skies? Where’s the beef?
These phrases are worth millions of dollars because they are easily and effectively locked into the consumer’s mind. Marketers may try for decades to capture the consumer’s attention with cute, funny, or feature-laced advertising, but it seems that these phrases are elusive. It’s amazing that companies sometimes abandon their million-dollar phrases, such as “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is,” “See the USA in your Chevrolet,” and others. For most companies, another memorable phrase will never be as effective.
CONSIDER THIS: What catchy phrase describes a major benefit or feature of your product? Do you have one that sets your product apart from the rest? If not, search for one. If you have one, recognize it as a treasure, and abandon it at your own risk.
Submitted by Richard
