Business Slogans and Taglines
The Right Slogan is Key to Brand Building Success
When it comes to the building blocks of brand strategy, a good business slogan or tagline ranks high in importance.
The tagline is a short phrase created to ride shotgun with the logo. Its purpose is to communicate the essence, uniqueness, or benefits of the business or product. The best slogans and taglines are catchy enough both to deliver a message and help customers remember the company name.
If it sounds a little complicated, it’s not. In fact the simplicity of the tagline is the key to its effectiveness, but it’s also what makes it such a critical part of the business’s brand development and marketing strategy. Taglines need to say something important enough about the company or product that they are worth repeating over and over. Getting to that “just right” phrase, however, can be a difficult process.
Think about the importance in brand awareness of slogans like these: “It’s finger lickin’ good”, “Because I’m worth it”, and “A diamond is forever.” KFC, L’Oreal and DeBeers have all benefited from the name recognition and “reason to buy” generated by these simple four-word slogans. These three taglines have all been used for years. Staying power is key to a good tagline or slogan.
When done right, a tagline reaches out to the target and makes them want the benefit your product offers: delicious fried chicken, a feeling of having been pampered, or a marriage good enough to last a lifetime (since your diamond will).
Another classic example is Avis Rent A Car and it’s “We Try Harder” slogan. You want convenience, reliability, and a fair price when you rent a car. The major car rental companies all provide those benefits. Avis gives customers a reason to want to associate with them because they try harder. Brilliant.
Since taglines and slogans are meant to be simple, why do so many companies fail at coming up with the right one?
One big reason is they often confuse their mission statement with their tagline. Mission statements are created to focus internal resources. Taglines are for external audiences and customers. Taglines communicate what the product or service can do for customers, not companies.
The bottom line is that taglines and slogans are a key component of any brand strategy. They are not easy to come by, but once you find the perfect one, stick with it and use it everywhere you use your logo.
