I heart slogans.

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The Catskills, a mountain range in NY State, has a promotional group seeking to improve its image among a new generation of tourists.  To that end they are holding a contest to find a new slogan. A really accomplished NYC branding expert was quoted today in the NYT as saying the leading vote getters are not really differentiated.  They are “so generic, that they could be applied about almost anywhere.” And he’s right. But two of the most famous of tourism slogans extant are “I love NY” and Virginia is for Lovers.”   Not a lot of endemic value there.

The brand expert correctly said “To change the perception of a region today requires more than a slogan; they don’t really change perception the way they used to.”  That point is way accurate.  The reason being slogans don’t last very long these days.  I’m making this up but I’d say slogan lifetimes average 26 months. And whose fault is that?  Ad agencies. 

I won a big piece of advertising business while with an agency once by telling the review committee why their line was so great.

Done well, great slogans are guiding principles.  And strategies. They are not just limericks. Peace.