A tagline is a short, simple phrase that communicates the brand’s personality and essence. It helps distinguish your brand from your competitors.
Taglines sound deceptively simple. Honing your brand’s core message to four or five words requires a strategic creative process. Although taglines often sound organic and spontaneous, the process of creating one is difficult and requires testing and retesting.
There are several different types of taglines:
- Commands – Nike’s “Just do it” has transcended the brand and seeped into pop culture.
- Descriptions – TED Talks sums up their entire brand in three simple words: “Ideas worth spreading.”
- Superlatives – DeBeers’ “A diamond is forever” proves that taglines can also be forever.
- Provocative – In this case, provocative not as in shocking, but thought provoking. One of the most famous of these taglines came from the Dairy Council, who asked pointedly, “Got milk?”
- Specific – What could be more direct and to-the-point than Volkswagen’s “Drivers wanted”?
Once you’ve adopted the perfect tagline, stay on message. Whether it’s your mission statement, a tweet or the script for call center employees, your brand’s voice and tone should be consistent and distinct.
Principles to remember when developing your brand’s message:
- Use language that has meaning to your customers.
- Keep it short, clear and precise.
- Edit, edit, edit. Keep polishing the text until is shines like a diamond.
- Choose words and phrases that will become synonymous with your brand when they are repeated.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
William Shakespeare
