Since 2018 Target has been officially present in all of the 50 states of The United States. With such a presence, the recognition of its meaningful addition to the community is almost mandatory. Almost everyone you know (including yourself) has shopped at Target at least once, but let’s talk about something often forgettable yet truly important for a brand: its slogan. Let’s learn ‘Target Slogan’.
A slogan is usually simple and catchy, yes, but it contains the mission of an entire store or brand, the promise of what consumers are going to get from it without exception. And Target’s signature brand promise is “Expect more. Payless”.
A Quick Tour Over Time
Can you imagine a moment in time without a Target store nearby? The reason why is because the store has existed for a century! Yes, you read right. Target was founded in 1902, but under the name of Goodfellow Dry Goods, and then Dayton Dry Goods Company in 1903. The first Target store opened in 1962, in Roseville, Minnesota.
Today Target is the sixth biggest retail store in the United States, with total revenue in 2021 of $99.6 billion and 1,926 stores, at which almost fifty owned and unique brands are sold. Finally, Target’s mission is to “help all families discover the joy of everyday life”.
The Meaning of “Expect More. Pay Less.”
This slogan stands for Target’s commitment to give customers high-quality services and experiences for less of the value they would pay at a different place. The first part, “Expect more”, refers to customers’ expectations regarding the products offered at Target. Meanwhile, the “Payless” part alludes to the store’s promise of giving competitive prices, favorable deals, and all kinds of offers.
The History of The Target Slogan
Disregarding how impactful the slogan has been since its unveiling, the store hasn’t used it for more than 28 years. It was in 1994 when Target rebranded itself as a natural evolution of its commitment towards community and came up with the slogan “Expect more. Payless.”, which has received a positive response since then.
Besides this, the retail store has been associated with the phrase “Don’t stop living in the red”, which is the title of a 2000s Target commercial. Featuring the song of the same name, sung by Andrew W.K., it alludes to the signature colors (red and white) of the brand.
Target’s Logo
As introduced, Target’s logo is depicted as a bull’s eye with the colors red and white. According to Stewart K. Widdess (director of publicity in 1962), it represents the achievement of the store’s goal to provide customers with good deals for a low price. Nowadays, it is also one of the most recognized symbols in the country, along with Target’s mascot: Bullseye, an English bull terrier with the store’s logo in its left eye that appeared for the first time in 1999, with Target’s iconic campaign “Sign of the times”.
Target’s 2021 Campaign and tagline
Target has launched multiple popular advertising campaigns and the one from 2021 brought together a new tagline to align with the “Expect more. Payless.” slogan. “What we value most shouldn’t cost more” is a tagline meant to commemorate the naming of Cara Sylvester as the new chief marketing and digital officer. Similarly, the latest campaign is meant to amplify the good within reach that every day Target’s products can offer.
Target’s “What Would A Badass Do?” Slogan
Although not officially a slogan, it stands among Target’s employees as a common expression that was first introduced during the holiday season. The motto (abbreviated as WWABD) is a statement of the staff commitment and an effort to motivate its workers to continue offering a high-quality service, especially during the busiest time of the year. As a fun fact, Target temporarily hires more than 130,000 workers each year to assist in the stores on the holidays.
Target Attempts To Deliver a High-Quality Service
Since it was created and more now than ever with the pandemic of COVID-19, Target works to bring customers new, exciting, and useful experiences that live up to its mission. Some services that became available after the arrival of the virus, and are making the store trend even more, are same-day delivery orders, coupons for guests that receive their vaccine at the store, and Drive Up.
Besides offering Pickup and Delivery options, Target has launched the Drive-Up option, which runs with the Target App. By choosing to Drive Up, you can shop online, then drive to the selected Target on the app, and your purchases are brought out to your car without any personal contact. And all of this for free.
Conclusion
Target’s slogan is not only an example of a catchy phrase that can make people think about the store, but an actual promise of the value it offers to the public. Like other stores that recognize the importance of thinking about its customers before profit, Target keeps on branding itself with new campaigns and taglines that remind people about its compromise to show them how normal expecting more while paying less should be.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Drive-Up work?
In the Target App you can choose your store and shop, then switch to the Drive-Up, and, after arriving at the store, just let the staff know that you arrived and wait safely in the car.
Can I track my orders with the Target App?
Of course, you can. Also, you can do it on the official website too.
Is the eye mark on Target’s mascot real or photoshopped?
The mark is real and applied by a professional makeup artist with non-toxic vegetable-based paint.
