How a great tagline can help your brand

Just do it … We try harder … The ultimate driving machine … 

These short, evocative and punchy phrases are called taglines. They’re one of the best ways of defining a product, service, or organisation and setting it apart from the competition.

A smart, memorable tagline will build and reinforce a positive brand image by giving people a mental bridge between your name and your brand message.

In a nutshell, taglines translate your positioning statement into a powerful marketing statement that echoes your core values and creates a customer magnet.

How to create your own tagline

When you start out to create a tagline, you are aiming to capture the nub of your corporate ethos in a few well-chosen words. You’re effectively extending your brand with a phrase that reflects who you are, what makes you tick, and why people should sit up and take notice.

A good starting point is to focus on your company’s vision and values. By asking your whole team to engage in the creation of a tagline, you can tap into everyone’s perception of how your vision and values translate to everyday activity.

Start off with some basic questions:

• What does your company do – and why?
• What are your aspirations?
• How do your core values determine behaviour?
• What makes your business distinctive or unique in the marketplace?
• What is your offer, solution or promise?
• Who are your key customers and stakeholders?

Draw up a shortlist of the best ideas – whether factual, evocative, serious or witty. Leave the project alone for a few days so you can review the options with fresh focus. Before making your final decision, run through this checklist and ask if you are:

• Projecting your organisation’s vision and values?
• Communicating the ethos of your brand character?
• Creating a resonating point of difference with your competitors?
• Aligning your message to your market and stakeholders?
• Promising to deliver on fulfilling essential needs or desires?

Your tagline need not necessarily tick all these boxes, but if it’s only scoring in one one or two areas, you should perhaps rethink your options. If you’re saying ‘yes’ to three, four or all five questions, you’ve probably got yourself a great tagline.

My favourite five: 

1. All the news that’s fit to print – New York Times
2. The world on time – FedEx
3. One client at a time – Morgan Stanley
4. Believe in better – Sky
5. There are some things that money can’t buy, for everything else there’s Mastercard

For more advice and help in developing your brand strategy, contact us.