What's in a Tagline?

By John Gumas

Anyone who has ever gone through the experience of developing a company tagline knows just how difficult this process can be. How do you deliver a memorable message in a single, short sentence?

Taglines are used everywhere marketing is found - on radio, television and print ads, on printed materials like brochures and even in some company phone greetings. It's the short blast of communication that says it all, very powerfully and simply.

To develop an effective tagline, start by spending some time getting to the core of what your business is all about. Focus not only on what you do, but also how and why you do it. The "how" and "why" of your business is typically your point of differentiation.

Be bold. A tagline should not be humble. Use powerful words that connote emotions beyond the word's definition. This is a daunting task. We typically take clients through an all-day exercise just to identify the message before we even start crafting the phrase. Developing a company tagline is not for the faint of heart.

Here are some tagline dos and don'ts:

- Your tagline should be no longer than seven words. Remember, the shorter the better.
- If your company name is not descriptive of what you do, then your tagline should be.
- It must be unique to your business. It cannot describe attributes of any of your competitors.
- It avoids using trite or predictable words like "consumer driven" or "friendly."
- It should be true. It is the soul of who your company already is or is working to be.

Once you have the right tagline, let the world know. In order to be most effective, it must be used consistently, on all marketing materials, for at least three to five years. That type of commitment to the right tagline will pay off in helping current and potential customers really know exactly who you are and what you'll do for them.

September 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue

| Permalink