The Costly Slogan
By DH on Nov 28, 2007 in Reputation management
So many organizations still believe they need a slogan — a hopefully clever or impressive catch phrase — and they are often willing to pay a significant fee even though slogans are becoming … well, becoming out of fashion and effectiveness. Today’s trend is toward more genuine and transparent-sounding positioning messages. Positioning messages are statements that incisively explain value or why anyone should care about you.
The wonderful country of Scotland, nonetheless, believed it needed a new slogan … something inspiring while, at the same time, perhaps romantic. (No one told them you can’t achieve that with a slogan.) Six months later and after spending $250,000, they decided on … “Welcome to Scotland.”
“Welcome to Scotland” at best is dull and passive and certainly does not begin to evoke images of the authentic nature of the country. Extremely poor creative work, in my opinion, by the Leith Agency, which should either give back the fat fee or donate it to a Scottish charity.
As I observe, consult and write books and articles about reputation and brand leadership in today's highly competitive world, I will share thoughts and perspective on this blog.
On Nov 29, 2007, Barney said:
I’m ashamed that an agency that bears my family name has produced such a godawful campaign for the land of my father (and his father and his father’s father and so on back to the 14th century). Scotland is an exciting country of great history and great contrasts. Welcome to Scotland? Oh, jings, crivens and helpmabawb!