Tag, you’re it!

Taglines, when done correctly, can give your brand quite a boost. Like the space shuttle, which needs a high energy set of booster rockets to break through the earth’s gravity before it can soar, your company’s efforts need a spark to get it moving forward.

Fair warning — making up a tagline just to have a cool tagline is not branding. Your tagline is not a brand. We can talk more about that tomorrow. But…when done right…

A good tagline can capture and transmit your brand promise. The discipline of identifying a few key words that communicate the full weight and force of your brand message is one of the cornerstones to creating a successful brand. Think of it as a rallying cry. It’s what you shout in the team huddle before going into the big game. It’s a comforting whisper in your client’s ear. It is the enticement that lures prospects to learn more about you.

If you do it well, your tagline can energize your team and give them focus. It reminds them every day of the promise you are making in the marketplace. A good tagline is not a pithy witticism or platitude. It needs to stand up to these critical questions:

~ Does it provide a clear, recognizable and sustainable differentiation from your competition? If you can swap out your name/logo and put theirs in, you have trouble.

~ Does it respond in an authentic way to a pressing need that your clients and potential clients struggle with?

~ Does it provide you (internally) with guidance for management decision-making, hiring, training and resource allocation?

If you can say yes to all 3 questions, you probably have a pretty strong tagline. Let’s test the theory — sell me your tagline. Convince me its a good one.