Keep it Simple with Taglines and Slogans

Janine Perry, Partner, Perry Design & Advertising

Creating or re-creating your business identity through consistent use of taglines and marketing slogans are important steps to success.

A tagline should serve to compliment your business name, be unique but easy to remember and most importantly, relevant to your company’s name and mission statement. A tagline is a word or phrase that will help people readily identify with what you offer. Use simple everyday words that people will easily connect to and will help them visualize or “feel the brand.” With taglines, less is more - such as LG “Life’s Good”, Subway’s “Eat Fresh” or Nike’s “Just Do It”. A solid tagline is a part of your brand identity and should be used for a long-time - incorporated into your marketing collateral, alongside your logo, on your website, email signature, etc.

Some local taglines we’ve created include: SunWest Engineering Constructors, Inc. - Your Reliable Source for Fuel Systems Innovation, MJK Construction, Inc. - From Design to Construction - Delivering Diversity, Quakes - Always a Big Hit, Kessler Alair Insurance - For a Range of Reasons, Perry Roofing - On top of it all

Listed are a few tips to developing a tagline:

• Determine a particular aspect that you want to promote - such as; reliability, uniqueness, affordability, service, trust etc. Example: “You’re in good hands with Allstate.”
• Define your target audience - Mazda uses the tagline “Zoom! Zoom!” which doesn’t necessarily say anything about the product, but rather grabs attention of its target audience.
• Keep the words short, simple and relevant.
• Test your tagline with colleagues, customers, friends and peers and listen to feedback, adjust as necessary.
• Avoid using a tagline in use, infringing on another trademark or service mark. While you don’t register a tagline, you should consider using a trademark or service mark early on.

To learn more, check with California’s Secretary of State’s office, or consult with an attorney.

A slogan differs from a tagline in that it often shorter-lived and campaign and audience specific. A good slogan will capture and retain attention of its audience. Two examples of famous slogans that clearly state the benefit to consumers are:

“You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less - or it’s free.” Domino’s Pizza

“When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight” Fedex

An effective slogan is part of an advertising campaign as a whole and:

• states the main benefits of the product or brand for the potential user or buyer
• implies a distinction between it and other firms’ products - within the usual legal constraints
• makes a simple, direct, concise statement
• is often witty
• adopts a distinct “personality” of its own
• gives a credible impression of a brand or product
• makes the consumer feel “good”
• makes the consumer feel a desire or need
• is hard to forget - it adheres to one’s memory (whether one likes it or not), especially if it is accompanied by a jingle or pictures.

With all of this information, are you keeping it simple?