Your business needs a short, strong tagline. A tagline is a few words that sum up what you do or explain the character of your brand. It sets you apart from the competition and gives people an easy way to remember and associate you with what you sell. Taglines don’t have to focus on products. Nike got a lot further with “just do it” then they would have with “high-quality athletic shoes”. Tesco’s “every little help” is also focused on values rather than products.
A strong tagline conjures up the feelings you want to associate with your brand in a way that has some connection to your actual product. Nike sells sportswear. Their product is associated with doing things. “Just do it” wouldn’t work with a line of furniture. Tesco is selling the idea that they offer small savings on everything and it adds up, but their tagline is flexible enough to apply to other aspects of the brand. We all know where the ‘happiest place on earth is because Disney isn’t selling amusements; they are selling a happy experience.
To craft the best tagline for your brand, focus on your strengths. What sets you apart from the competition? How do you want people to feel while using your product?
While some brands have had great success with two or three-sentence taglines, in general, less is more. The idea is to keep it very simple so it lodges easily into the audience’s mind. A large, well-established brand can get away with a longer tagline because its audience is already aware of them. Emerging brands don’t have that luxury. Shorter taglines are stronger.
Your tagline should also be consistent. This is another area where big brands can play around and small ones cannot. Once a large brand has established a strong tagline, yes, they can use variations of it. But smaller brands will dilute the power of their tagline if they try that. The human brain likes repetition; we only appreciate the twists and takes on a tagline once we’ve heard it enough.
Once you have a great tagline, what do you do with it? You use it everywhere you can. Your tagline should be clear and obvious on your website, stationary, brochures, packaging and print advertising. The goal is repetition. Your audience should see your tagline every time they interact with your brand. Don’t overlook social media. Is your tagline short enough to be a hashtag? You don’t have ti use it in every post, but it should be on your About page for every social media profile. Like your logo, your tagline should be visually consistent in each use. Stick with the same font and colour for all instances of using your taglines where you can, such as on your website and printed materials.
By Irene Hislop
By Jeff Sheridan
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