"Don't be vague, ask for Haig" (a brand of Scotch whisky). "Don't just book it, Thomas Cook it" (Thomas Cook is a travel company). "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" (vacuum cleaner). Those advertising slogans have endured, and one of the reasons that they are so memorable is that they rhyme.
After all, we use rhymes to help children learn: "One, two, buckle my shoe, Three, four, knock at the door." We know that children will want to sing along, and to repeat the rhyme because it's fun. As a result, they remember numbers much more easily.
A study carried out by two psychologists from Lafayette College a few years ago found that adults, too, respond well to rhymes. The researchers read out two short phrases that were identical in meaning, but one of them rhymed and the other didn't. The phrases included "Woes unite foes" and "Woes unite enemies" and "What sobriety conceals, alcohol reveals" and "What sobriety conceals, alcohol unmasks." Respondents judged the rhyming aphorism to be more accurate than the non-rhyming version (even though both versions meant the same thing).
The psychologists concluded that the ease with which people are able to process information plays a large role in their ability to trust that information. The mind accepts rhyming phrases more quickly and thus we feel more comfortable with them. We certainly remember rhymes, even those we learned years ago. When you are unsure how to spell a word you may say to yourself "I before E except after C." When you wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow, you might recite "Red sky at night, shepherds' delight; Red sky in the morning, sailors' warning."
If you haven't yet chosen a business strapline or advertising slogan, it might be worth checking in a rhyming dictionary (you'll find several online). It's not the spelling of the word that matters, but the sound, as in 'vague' and 'Haig', 'sucks' and 'lux' above. The stress of the word is important too; 'widget' and 'forget' don't rhyme because the first syllable is stressed in 'widget', while it's the second syllable of 'forget' that carries the stress. Don't forget to take account of the pronunciation of your customers when choosing a strapline or slogan. To paraphrase Fred Astaire, it just doesn't work when "You say tom-ah-to, and they say tom-eh-to."
For more free information on words in business and brand names, please go to Susan Purcell's site, http://winningnames.co.uk/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Purcell
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