4.04 – Conveying Your Position & Brand Through Taglines
Conveying Your Position & Brand through Taglines
A tagline or slogan is a quick, memorable phrase that links your name to your brand and its market position. While your positioning statement outlines the unique niche your brand occupies, your tagline converts that statement into a memorable line that resonates with consumers.
You need a tagline if your brand name alone doesn’t fully explain what your business is about. For instance, while “Jiffy Lube” is self-explanatory, “BMW” benefits from a tagline to clarify its identity and value.
To create an effective tagline, consider the insights from Eric Swartz, a renowned verbal branding professional. He has crafted thousands of brand expressions, including corporate taglines, city mottos, campaign slogans, company and product names, headlines, and other short-form messages. Swartz’s business, TagLine Guru, emphasizes the importance of taglines with its own tagline: “It’s your brand on the line.”
Here’s Swartz’s advice for crafting a powerful tagline:
- A tagline should convey who you are, what makes you special, and why the world should care. It should highlight the value and appeal of your brand and serve as a strong conclusion to your 30-second elevator pitch.
- Taglines can be updated or replaced as your organization evolves. Use your tagline to reflect changes in positioning, launch new campaigns, connect with new audiences, define new directions, or highlight key benefits or attributes.
Swartz identifies 12 characteristics of great taglines:
- Original: Make it uniquely yours.
- Believable: Keep it authentic.
- Simple: Make it easy to understand.
- Succinct: Get straight to the point.
- Positive: Lift their spirits.
- Specific: Ensure it’s relevant.
- Unconventional: Break the mold.
- Provocative: Make them think.
- Conversational: Make it personable.
- Persuasive: Sell the big idea.
- Humorous: Add a touch of humor.
- Memorable: Leave a lasting impression.
Not all taglines need to incorporate all 12 characteristics. For example, a legal or accounting firm might not aim to be humorous. However, this list can guide you through the brainstorming process.
Once you have your tagline, include it in all marketing communications. This ensures that whenever people see your brand name, they also see the tagline that encapsulates your brand promise in a descriptive and memorable way.
