A motto (derived from the Latin muttum, ‘mutter’, by way of Italian motto, ‘word’, ‘sentence’) is a maxim, a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group or organization. It’s not a tagline or your food truck’s mission statement. It’s the few words you use to promote your truck, a service you provide, or marketing campaign.

Unlike your food truck’s tagline or marketing message, your motto or slogan can change from time to time or you may have more than one.

The importance of a business motto or slogan for your food truck cannot be overstated. Creating the right motto can add value to your mobile food business and give your brand instant recognition. To get an idea of effective mottoes, review some mottoes or slogans of major companies and consider what makes each memorable or catchy. In fact, you can use these mottoes as models when creating a motto or slogan for your food truck.

Sample Mottoes To Inspire You

  • “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” – Allstate
  • “The ultimate driving machine.” – BMW
  • “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”  – Federal Express
  • “We bring good things to life.” – General Electric
  • “Don’t get mad! Get Glad!” – Glad
  • “Make yourself a home.” – Ikea
  • “All the news that’s fit to print.” – The New York Times
  • “Just do it.” – Nike
  • “The Safer, Easier Way to Pay.” – PayPal
  • “Kills Bugs Dead” – Raid

To get a feeling for how a great motto works, use a few of these and make them your own.

How To Create A Motto For Your Food Truck

Think about the role that your motto will play and how it will advance your brand. For example, perhaps you intend your motto be used extensively throughout advertising and marketing. A good motto sends a positive message to your audience and indicates what’s important about what your food truck is or does.

Consider how your motto integrates with your company vision or mission statement. Think about what you consider to be the most important aspects of your business or organization, the promises or commitments you’ve made to yourself, employees and/or consumers. Ask how your food truck and its menu and services stands out from competitors and what makes your company unique.

Brainstorming

Brainstorm and write down a list of words, nouns and adjectives you would use to describe your food truck business and the additional services you provide.

Ask yourself:

  • What it does?
  • What makes you unique?
  • Who it helps?
  • What are the characteristics of your menu and services?
  • What are the qualities of your target market?

While some people might include words like best, greatest, etc., I don’t recommend this using your marketing message to give yourself compliments. This kind of language is not only standard and boring, but hard to substantiate even if it is true. It also, kills the effectiveness of your message.

Once you’re done, you should have at least 50 words to work with, ones that describe a tangible and unique benefit.

Write down a few phrases or ideas that use the words you’ve come up with. Aim for a short phrase of no more than seven words. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if you need more words to accurately and effectively depict your food truck business.

Get Feedback & Test

Present your motto ideas to a friend or business partner who won’t hesitate to provide constructive criticism. Listen to feedback and jot down other ideas that they may have. Revise your ideas for mottoes based on the feedback you received. Narrow down the list to a top five or six, based on how well they describe your business’ values and what you think is most important for your customers to know.

Now ask yourself the following questions about your motto options.

  • Is it original?
  • Is it believable?
  • Does it differentiate your truck from the competition?
  • Does it reflect the brand personality?
  • Is it memorable?
  • Is it unique, original and not used by others.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you’ve got a clear winner. If you only answered yes to four, you’re close. Either way, the next step is to test it. See how people respond to it. See if when you use it in your ads, you get a better response.

RELATED: Marketing Truths ALL Food Truck Owners Should Know

The Bottom Line

Every food truck owner wants a catchy business motto or slogan, one that will stick in their prospects’ minds, help them build their brand and increase sales. And a good motto sticks like glue in consumer’s minds, reminding them consciously and unconsciously of your food truck and menu, over and over.

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