It’s not as easy as you think. (Nor is it as difficult.)

how to create a tagline that works

Photo by Marc Nozell, used under a Creative Commons license.

Yes we can. Of course we can. But exactly what is it that we can do? Well that’s the great thing about Barack Obama’s tagline. It means whatever you want it to mean. It creates a sense of possibility, of potential, of empowerment. The same goes for his change taglines: Change can happen, Change we need, Change we can believe in. It’s like tofu: sweet or savoury, tangy or velvety. You decide. But whatever you do, you can’t contradict it: because the election was going to bring change anyway, since George W Bush couldn’t stand for a third term. So it promised everything, without really promising anything. The perfect tagline.

You want it? You got it.

Promises are at the core of taglines. Just look at supermarkets. In the UK, Tesco has Every little helps. They’re saving you money, which is especially important in these tough economic times, when every penny counts. Sainsbury’s takes a different tack with Try something new today. This could mean a new product, a new flavour or a new recipe. But it could also mean a new supermarket. Both taglines look like they’re handwritten, which adds to the personal touch. Upmarket chain Waitrose doesn’t have one. At the other end of the spectrum, neither does Asda. But Asda’s US parent company Wal-Mart has a great one: Save money. Live better. How could you say no?

iTagline

Technology companies love taglines. And none more so than Microsoft. When I worked for them, it was Where do you want to go today? New York? The Moon? Round the corner? The White House? No problem. We can do that. Now it’s even more visionary: Your potential. Our passion. It says ‘you can do anything, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.’ So Microsoft is your friend, and my friend, and everybody’s friend. It’s warm and fuzzy and creates a direct connection with the reader. Unlike Sun Microsystems’ tagline, which baldly states The Network is the Computer. That one leaves me cold – mostly because I feel as if I’m being led into a Brave New World. And in any case, what happens when the network goes down? Does the computer go down too?

Ready, set, go.

Taglines are endlessly fascinating. And endlessly distracting. So here’s my quick-and-easy five steps to deciding what’s best for you:
  • Look at your company. What do you do? How do you come across to clients? If your company had a personality, what would it be?
  • Look at your audience. What do they want to hear? Will they appreciate or understand cleverness in a tagline? Do they want you to ‘tell it as it is’? Will they even read it?
  • Work out your mission. What problem do you solve? What message do you want to send out? Remember, this is a mission, NOT a mission statement (nobody, but nobody, reads those).
  • Don’t get into analysis paralysis. Every tagline has pros and cons. There is no right choice. And what’s right today may not be right in six months’ time. Put 10 options down on paper, then whittle them down to five, then three. Then one. Choose it and don’t look back.
  • Remember, it’s just a tagline. It’s not as important as your clients, your service, your stock availability, your timekeeping, your delivery, your customer care, your responsiveness, your dedication.
At the end of the day, it really is just a tagline. And that’s just one small piece of a very big puzzle. So slot it in and admire your handiwork. Then move on. (Yes, you can.) [Note: the taglines in this post are all either (R) or (TM) of the relevant companies.]