3 Ways To Take Your Brand Tagline From Okay To Outstanding
Do any of these sound familiar?
Just do it. Because You’re Worth It. Priceless. The Happiest Place On Earth. Open Happiness. Or even…Finger Lickin’ Good and Easy, Breezy, Beautiful.
They’re brand taglines. Taglines can be a powerful and effective tool to attract your audience when they’re done well.
If you were able to name the brands these belong to, good for you! Some have been around for YEARS and they’ve remained because consumers still love them, relate to them and they’ve gotten into the mainstream culture.
Because most people who will read this blog are A+ goal-getters, I know you want the answers to which taglines belong to which brands simply to check your work….here you go:
Just Do It - NIKE
Because You’re Worth It - L’OREAL
Priceless - MASTERCARD (shortened from their original tagline, “There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else there’s Mastercard”)
The Happiest Place On Earth - DISNEY THEME PARKS
Open Happiness - COCA COLA
Finger Lickin’ Good - KFC
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful - COVERGIRL
Spending most of my career in the movie business, I also love seeing what studios come up with for their taglines featured on movie posters or splashed across outdoor billboards. A few of my faves:
HEROES AREN’T BORN. THEY’RE BUILT - First IRON MAN film
MEET THE LITTLE VOICES INSIDE YOUR HEAD - Disney/Pixar’s INSIDE OUT
LIFE OFFERS YOU A THOUSAND CHANCES…ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TAKE ONE - Under The Tuscan Sun
THREE STRATEGIES FOR CRAFTING YOUR TAGLINE
So what can you do to create a tagline for your business that will stand out and attract your audience? Here are 3 strategies to keep in mind as you’re transforming your tagline from just okay to outstanding!
#1 MAKE IT MEMORABLE
All the taglines I mentioned above are outstanding because they’re memorable. People remember phrases like this when they relate to them or it jogs their own personal memory of an experience that was just validated by the brand tagline.
When you hear Finger Lickin’ Good, you might think…how did KFC know I actually lick my fingers every time after eating a bucket of wings with my friends?
Or, if you had an amazing time on your family vacation to Walt Disney World, you are more apt to remember their tagline is “The Happiest Place On Earth” since that’s exactly what you experienced when you visited the park.
Think about the experience your customer is receiving by working with you or buying your product. How you can turn that into a tagline?
#2 KEEP IT SNAPPY
If you can, keep your tagline short and snappy. Is it just me, or do you have an image of Reese Witherspoon doing the “bend & snap” from Legally Blonde, right now? LOL
A tagline is meant to be brief, to the point and hit home quickly with your audience. It should be easy to say, or even fun to say in some cases. This isn’t supposed to represent every single thing about your business, it’s a quick way of creating an instant connection with your customers and standing out in their minds.
#3 INSPIRE OR ENTERTAIN
Taglines are meant to turn your head, make you smile, inspire you or strike a chord. It should have your consumers feel like you get them in some way and makes them interested in learning more about what you do and how it can benefit them. This can even mean it’s a tagline they might repeat and tell someone else about.
You can be aspirational, inspirational, entertaining or value-driven in your approach.
An ASPIRATIONAL example is Tony Robbin’s tagline, “Transform Your Life.”
An INSPIRATIONAL example is SugarPaper’s “We Make Beautiful Things For Thoughtful People.”
ENTERTAINING? Try “Get Pitch Slapped” from the original Pitch Perfect movie campaign.
When you choose a VALUE-DRIVEN tagline, you’re telling your customer the ultimate value or benefit they’ll receive from buying your product or service. Mine would be one of these examples when I say, “Your Brand, Refined.” Or think of Amy Porterfield, “Online Marketing Made Easy.”
THE WRAP UP
As entrepreneurs just starting or growing our businesses, we don’t all have huge corporations behind us, so having a broader tagline that doesn’t actually say what you do if it’s taken out of context can be tough for a small business owner.
My recommendation is to learn from the big guys, get inspired, but know that your tagline will evolve and change as your business grows and your audience evolves. And remember that your brand is more than just your tagline…it’s about how every element of your brand works together synergistically.
The point is to always listen to your ideal clients and their ambitions, and keep the 3 Strategies for crafting an outstanding tagline top of mind as you do.
Happy Branding!
