What's a Tagline, and Why Do I Need One?

Think about some of the best taglines of the past decade. What makes them great? And why does your business need one?

A great tagline adds context to the name of your business so that your prospects develop a more complete understanding of what you have to offer. A compelling tagline, used consistently in conjunction with your businesses' name, can help you to do the following:

  • Describe your product or service simply and concisely
  • Communicate your benefit to the end user
  • Differentiate you from the competition
  • Clarify what makes you unique

So if your businesses' name doesn't communicate all of these elements in and of itself, which chances are it doesn't, a tagline might be helpful.

Consider a business called ABC Inc. What do they do? What do they sell? What is the name of the business alone communicating about the business? Not much when you think about it.

Now consider the businesses' name with additional context provided by a tagline:

ABC Inc., Affordable Widgets That Make Life Easier.

The tagline conveys additional information about the company's product (widgets), their differentiator (they're inexpensive) and the benefit to the end user (they make life easier). This is definitely a more complete, and therefore more powerful, message.

Here are a few real-world examples:

You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers
Radio Shack sells electronics, but the tagline "You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers" more fully describes their benefit. It communicates that their staff are experts who are ready, willing and able to help customers better understand their complicated electronics purchases.

Tastes Great, Less Filling.
Miller Lite is a beer. However, the tagline "Tastes Great, Less Filling" adds important context by describing the brand's unique benefit. Even though it is lighter than the more robust, dark beers on the market, it still tastes great. You can drink a Miller Lite, enjoy its flavor and not feel full. This is what makes Miller Lite unique and sets it apart from other lite beers.

Enjoy the Ride
Nissan makes cars that are sporty and fun. They do more than get you from point A to point B. Their vehicles feature stylish design and lots of horsepower. The tagline "Enjoy the Ride" points to the benefit of buying a Nissan: that they're fun to drive and you will feel good behind the wheel of one.

When used consistently over time a tagline will help your organization position itself more effectively and build its brand more powerfully. And a stronger brand means more recognition in the marketplace, less sales resistance, and ultimately a greater degree of success for your business.

We've helped many organizations craft a compelling tagline. If you think that your business or non-profit would benefit from the additional context a tagline can provide, contact us today. We'd be happy to help you come up with something great. Go ahead, Just Do It!