By Chris Hayes, EVP Brand Strategy
We recently completed a brand “refresh” for a catalog client that involved redefining the brand’s position and updating its visual identity. At the end of the process, the client asked us an important question: should they keep their tagline as part of their new identity?
Ask five branding experts this question and you’ll get five different answers – likely all variations of “maybe.”
By definition, a tagline is a memorable phrase (usually five words or less) used to convey a single important idea about a brand. Sounds simple enough, and it’s been a staple of brand marketing since… forever.
But the world of marketing has definitely changed since the days when a tagline was a necessity for consumer brands. ADWEEK notes that half of Forbes’ Best-Loved Advertising Taglines ran before 1975. And according to TaglineGuru.com, two-thirds of “The 100 Most Influential Taglines Since 1948,” ran before 1980.
There are a number of reasons why taglines may have lost some of their luster. Today’s multi-tasking, younger consumers process information much faster and their attention spans tend to be shorter. And then there are the ubiquitous small screen mobile devices that offer less room for brand messaging. More significant is that for today’s brands, values and personality are just as important as features and benefits. And all of these can be difficult to effectively capture and convey succinctly in a three-to-five-word phrase.
Arguably, the biggest challenge for any tagline to be effective is being exclusive or unique to the brand. When they’re simply words on a page, without high-dollar, multi-channel campaigns to drive association, most taglines could apply to almost any brand in their respective category. For instance, do you “Expect more. Pay less.” or do you “Save money. Live better.” at Walmart? You’d be surprised how many consumers can’t answer that question.
Some of today’s most iconic brands either don’t have or don’t use taglines anymore. Starbucks and Whole Foods don’t have taglines. Apple no longer uses “think different.” And all seem to be doing just fine, thank you.
So, thinking about a tagline? There are many things to consider, but here’s a quick checklist of things to incorporate (and one thing to avoid):
- Keep it short. Keep it simple. Don’t try to say too much or get too complicated.
- Include a key benefit – one that is truly unique and differentiates your brand from the competition.
- Make sure your tagline can stand on its own. If it takes more than a few words to sum up your brand, it’s not a good tagline.
- When possible, use semiotics to your advantage. The “swoosh” has become so familiar to consumers that the brand name doesn’t need to be present for consumers to know it’s Nike.
- Integrate your tagline into your logo design. It should be part of your brand’s visual identity.
- Resist the urge to be trendy. Choose words that will be meaningful over time and won’t limit the brand’s ability to evolve.
While these all seem like logical if not obvious suggestions, there are a lot of bad taglines out there that attest to how difficult it can actually be to create a good one. But if you are considering adding a tagline to your brand identity, make sure it’s compelling. When done well, it can be a smart marketing strategy that will set your company apart from your competition.
Need help determining if you should keep or update your tagline? Call Chris Hayes at 913-236-2415 or email chrish@jschmid.com
Tags: branding, direct marketing, Strategy, tagline