Part 2: Focus on your Tag line
The tag line, slogan, customer promise, value proposition, etc. is a key part of your corporate identity and brand. Like your logo, it’s important to get it right the first time so that you start to build and reinforce a story/image about your company. It’s a verbal complement and reinforcement of your logo. And vice versa.
All those phrases I used do not mean the same thing – I’m purposely over simplifying to make a point. The same characteristics and endpoint should be the goal of that line and that is – it should provide a benefit with a very brief (a few words) phrase as pithy as possible.
Let’s take the value proposition – in short, it’s a promise from the company or the product, to the customer. It delivers a benefit or value to the customer. Some lines serve to differentiate the company from the competition at the same time. A really good line will do all of the above and take it even further. Those lines are rare. There are many methodologies to develop a tag line. Again, as in having an intuitive and creative designer for your logo, use a resource who will work with you to develop an equally sustainable tag line.
Here are some memorable taglines — some deliver a perceived benefit that is larger than the actual product:
BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine
DeBeers – A Diamond is Forever
American Express – Don’t Leave Home Without It
Calvin Klein (fragrance) – Between Love and Madness Comes Obsession
Calvin Klein Jeans – Nothing Comes Between Me and My Calvin’s
Clarks – Shoes Designed for Living
Clarks – Shoes Designed to Live in
Levis – Original Jeans. Original People
Make your tag line memorable; it’s vital to capturing the image and story of your company, plus the immediate and aspirational benefit of your product/service.
Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.
She is the author of Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing.