Branding: The Law of the Word

The Law of the Word states that a brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.

Building a brand in the mind of end consumers requires focusing branding efforts on owning a word or a term in their minds. To have some fun with this concept, here is a short quiz. Below is a list of words (slogans) that various auto brands own in consumers’ minds. Try to guess the brand without looking at the answers below.

1. Tough

2. Moving Forward

3. Zoom Zoom

4. Like a Rock

5. The Ultimate Driving Machine
(1. Ford 2. Toyota 3. Mazda 4. Chevy 5. BMW)

 

Here are a few other completely unrelated categories.

1. I’m Lovin It

2. Just Do It

3. You Can Do It—We Can Help

4. You’re In Good Hands

(1. McDonalds 2. Nike 3. Home Depot 4. Allstate)

These companies have been successful at focusing their branding efforts on owning a word(s) in our minds. Once a brand owns a word, it is almost impossible for a competitor to take that word away from the brand.