If you’re in charge of writing the next security message or choosing a security slogan for your company’s security initiatives, you know you have a challenge ahead of you. After all, most security slogans become invisible and ineffective pretty quickly.
Only create a safety message that is part of a workplace safety campaign where people are trained to change their behavior. Otherwise. Putting a poster on the wall with a new slogan is about as useful as putting a sticker on your car that says “Baby on Board.” No one will pay much attention (or really care!).
To make sure your security message sticks, here are five important tips:
1. Use Positive Language – Avoid creating a slogan that focuses on behavior you don’t want. Instead, write a security message that conveys what you want people to do. For example, a negative slogan for height safety is “Don’t be fooled.” Using more positive language, a more appropriate version is “A harness is better than a hearse.” While this can have negative connotations, it still focuses on what you want the person to do, rather than the wrong behavior.
2. Be brief (and tweet): In this age of Twitter, being able to write in 140 characters or less helps you distill your message. It’s the same to write a security message, just try to summarize it in 12 words or less.
3. Avoid Jargon – Make sure the prize flows easily. Avoid acronyms and words that not everyone understands (use the test: will my mother understand this?).
4. Contain a surprise: Common sense is the enemy of sticky security messages. When our brain’s guessing machine crashes, it wants to find out why it couldn’t guess. This surprise catches our attention, so that we can be prepared in the future. By trying to figure out what went wrong, our brains are more likely to remember the information.
Here’s a good example (a personal favorite): Hug your kids at home, but hug them in the car.
Slogans containing the obvious will be ignored.
Some examples are: “Play it safe” and “Be careful, be careful.” Yawn!
5. Puns: A clever pun helps make your safety message that little bit more memorable. This can include rhyming and repeating words in a different order. Adding a bit of fun can make a serious topic more accessible.
For example:
It is better to lose a minute of life… than to lose your life in a minute.
Know safety, without injury. No safety, know injuries
Lifting is a breeze when you bend your knees
Once you have created your safety slogan and trained people on the required new behaviour, regularly remind staff of the safety message in safety meetings and email newsletters etc. The more people see it frequently, the more it will be remembered.
Here are some more catchy slogans that are memorable:
While on a ladder, never step back to admire your work.
10 fingers, 10 toes 2 eyes 1 nose…safety counts
knock out… accidents
Shortcuts cut the shortcuts of life
Consider security. It’ll save your ass.
A spill, a slip, a trip to the hospital
Safety glasses: All in favor say “Watch out!”
If you’re wrong, confess
At the wheel, anger is one letter away from danger.
Chance takers are accident makers
Chores you miss can cause a slip or fall.
It’s easier to ask a dumb question than to fix a dumb mistake.
Make it your mission not to live in unsafe conditions.
Security comes in a can, I can, you can, we can be sure.
Security fits like a glove; Try one on.
Security is a full-time job, don’t make it a part-time practice
Safety rules are your best tools.
Think smart before you start.