12 Tips for a Remarkable Tagline
12 Tips for a Remarkable Tagline. There are many techniques for developing your tagline.
A tagline is a succinct phrase, situated under or alongside your logo, that communicates a single but powerful brand message designed to resonate strongly with an intended audience.
A tagline is not a proverb, maxim, saying, mission statement, or generic description of what your organization is and does. Taglines are also referred to as slogans, mottos. A great tagline reinforces your essence and general positioning of your business.
Why a Tagline?
Taglines are the easiest and most effective way to communicate a new or revised brand message or what you want your intended audience to perceive. They can enhance the value and relevance of your brand, extend its reach, and give it renewed. Whether concrete or abstract, serious or funny, use a tagline to:
- Express the meaning of your organization’s vision or purpose
- Convey the essential qualities of your brand character
- Emphasize a key differentiator or competitive advantage or benefit
- Align your message to a specific audience or target market
- Promise the fulfillment of a deeply-held need or wish
Tagline Objectives
A tagline compresses the meaning of an organizational vision, competitive position, brand promise, product benefit, or experience into a cogent story. It’s the distilled essence of your brand message – conceived strategically, expressed artfully, and delivered persuasively.
As an extension of your organization’s brand, a tagline should say something essential about who you are, what makes you special, and why the world should care. It should confer marquee value on your brand and illustrate the value and appeal of your organization. Think of your tagline as a final exclamation point that wraps up your 30-second elevator pitch.
Since taglines are not written in stone, they can be easily updated or replaced if your organization or message undergoes a shift. However when changing is required, make sure your brand purpose is not neglected in the process.
Example #1
For example: Take a look at Home Depot’s new and updated tagline. You might have recently seen the launch while watching tv. They updated their tagline from more saving, more doing – to “How Doers Get More Done.”
For those that are doers, self-starters, like myself – the tagline almost made me yell out loud – YES! It’s more empowering and audience-focused. It’s a total upgrade and win – IMO.
The key is they kept the main concept of “doing” and shifted to become more focused and more inspiring!
“Home Depot is still “doing,” but it’s “doing” a little differently. The home improvement retailer is switching up its tagline as part of a broader marketing effort debuting this weekend. The new tagline, “How doers get more done,” will replace the “More saving. More doing” line the retailer has used for more than a decade as it seeks to showcase its updated digital and delivery options for modern shoppers.” AdWeek
Example #2
Healthy Baby Network Logo
I also hosted a workshop this year with a local non-profit client and helped their team get on the same page regarding updating their tagline. They received new funding this year to develop and create new programs for a smaller segment of the intended audiences they currently served. Due to this change in their growing programs and growing audiences – we changed the tagline from “every mother, every baby” to “every parent, every baby.” We also made some additional visual changes to the brand.
Use your tagline to:
- Reflect a change in positioning within the market place
- Launch a marketing or brand awareness campaign
- Forge a relationship with a new audience
- Define a new direction with a product to service
- Highlight a key benefit or attribute
- A rebranding campaign
12 Tips for a Remarkable Tagline:
| Original | – | Make it your own |
| Believable | – | Keep it real |
| Simple | – | Make it understandable |
| Succinct | – | Get to the point |
| Positive | – | Elevate their mood |
| Specific | – | Make it relevant |
| Unconventional | – | Break the mold |
| Provocative | – | Make them think |
| Conversational | – | Make it personable |
| Persuasive | – | Sell the big idea |
| Humorous | – | Tickle their funny bone |
| Memorable | – | Make a lasting impression |
Taglines have the ability to tell your brand’s story! If your business is in need of an updated tagline please reach out and we can discuss. Looking for more tips on growing your brand.
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About Michelle Roberts
President of Novus - Be Known, Inc.
