Establishing your brand and differentiating it from the competition can mean the difference between being a huge success and a monumental failure. Choosing the right company name, for example, can go a long way in terms of getting people to remember you. Take Google, for example. If they decided to name themselves something strictly descriptive — like “Searcher” — it probably wouldn’t have become as large as it has today. Another critical element is the company slogan.

Here at BlueFur hosting, they’ve decided to go with “Experience the Legend”. On the one hand, this works because it elicits images of legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, Sasquatch, and Bigfoot. It’s big and important (and goes well with the blue mascot). On the other hand, it doesn’t really say anything about the product (or service) being sold, which is why I suggested something more along the lines of “let the hosting fur fly”, but they didn’t like it.

Looking around some other companies, I’ve seen some very effective slogans. One that really caught my attention was that of Canada’s Comedy Network. They’re perfectly aware that the programming they show is largely fluff material meant to entertain and not educate (The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are notable exceptions). You go to the Comedy Network for a cheap laugh and a little chuckle. That’s why I think their slogan — Time Well Wasted — is particularly suiting and memorable.

But that’s not to say that all big companies have taken the right route. I remember for a while (they might still be using it, I’m not sure), the official slogan of McDonald’s was “Smile.” What the heck is that supposed to mean? Yes, munching on those fries can be pretty enjoyable, but a single word slogan like “Smile” really does nothing to promote the brand. You want short, but I’ve always had an aversive reaction to single word slogans.

When starting up a new company, you have to consider all the marketing aspects, including the company name, logo, and slogan, as well as the avenues you choose to take to advertise your business.