Changing the World One Tagline at a Time

It could make the world a better place.

It could make people’s lives easier. 

It could genuinely have a positive impact on society. 

You know your product’s potential. 

But it doesn’t matter whether it helps someone kill time on their commute or solves world hunger – it won’t make an impact unless your message gets through. 

And in a world full of distractions, that’s easier said than done. Muddle your message and your audience will tune out. But cut through the noise with a tagline that communicates your core value and cements it in people’s minds and the possibilities truly are endless.

What’s a tagline?

For starters, it’s not a slogan.

Though they’re often used interchangeably, taglines and slogans serve slightly different purposes.

While slogans are used to sell specific products or campaigns, taglines are about how the brand is perceived – encapsulating its personality and positioning. 

The best ones use clear and simple messaging their target audience immediately understands. They’re clever, but not too clever. Memorable but not clichéd. Inventive but familiar…

Yep, great taglines are an art form and generally don’t come easy. So, do you really have to slave over a hot laptop for days on end to come up with one?

Sorry, yes.

Why?

Because a great tagline will win over your audience.

If done right, your tagline will resonate with your audience, help them identify with your brand and make them want to be part of it. In other words, it will create brand loyalty. 

This is nothing new, of course. Language has been used to get people on board for centuries. Take Lenin. In his article Every Revolution Begins With Words, Tim Williams notes, “No doubt Lenin and his colleagues were powerful orators, but it was their choice of words – their language – that served as the real catalyst for the creation of the USSR.”

‘All power to the Soviets. Peace to the People. Land to the peasants. Factories to the workers’

We see what he means.

Lenin’s rallying cry in 1917 is the definition of a winning tagline. Clear, compelling and speaking directly to the pain points of its audience, the Russian peasantry.

Incidentally, the word ‘Soviet’ is derived from a Russian word meaning ‘council, advice and harmony’, so every peasant (about 82 per cent of the Russian population) would understand it. 

It just shows that keeping it simple is rule 101 of taglines. More recently, ’Get Brexit Done’ was three simple words that spoke to a nation’s collective fatigue. While there was nothing simple about Brexit, this successful tagline was as uncomplicated as it gets. 

So taglines clearly work. But how do you go about creating one for your brand?

What’s the big idea?

Define the idea behind your brand – your motivation for starting it, the drive to change or improve something. 

Now imagine you’re rallying people in the street to get behind your idea. If you’ve ever sneaked past people shaking charity buckets, you know how hard it is to get people to care. They’ve only got a few seconds to get their message across, so they’d best get to the point. 

The same applies to your brand. Your tagline needs to communicate your unique value clearly and simply. Don’t make your audience work for it. The simpler it is, the easier it’ll be to recall too. No one ever forgets Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ or McDonald’s ‘I’m Lovin’ it’. Those taglines just stuck – whether you like it or not. 

Celebrate your differences

A good tagline will also convey how your brand is different (hopefully better) than its competitors. Kitchen roll brand Bounty’s ‘The quicker picker upper’ nails this by highlighting its superior absorbency while snappy wordplay makes it memorable.  

Need more inspiration? These brands in the tech for good space are great examples.

Rothy’s

https://rothys.com

Tagline:

‘Reduce your carbon footprint in style’

Why it works

Eco-conscious fashion brand Rothy’s original tagline speaks to people’s growing concerns about shopping sustainably while reassuring consumers they won’t have to compromise on style. The footwear company’s use of a ‘carbon footprint’ is a clever bit of wordplay, too.

Multiverse

https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB

Tagline:

‘We’re building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training via professional apprenticeships’

Why it works

This tech start-up’s tagline is a powerful statement of intent. Not only do you ‘get’ their offering straight away, but their choice or words also homes in on students’ fears of running up huge debts at uni by clearly and persuasively saying that there is another way.

Olio

https://olioex.com/

Tagline:

‘Declutter, the feel-good way’

Why it works 

Local sharing app Olio lets people exchange things they don’t need with people nearby, reducing waste and connecting communities. 

Their tagline fits two benefits into just five words – we all want to streamline our lives and knowing you’re doing good in the process (and can feel a tiny bit smug) is a win-win.

Moonshot

https://moonshotteam.com/

Tagline:

‘Working to end online harms, applying evidence, ethics, and human rights’

Why it works

Moonshot develops tech to protect people online. It’s a noble and hugely important cause and their tagline gets the tone just right. Direct and authoritative while using simple language to reassure, it instils confidence that they’ll get the job done.

Who’s with me?

Not all these taglines follow the same format – some are more slogan-esque while some take a more literal approach. But they all work for their specific target markets because they were born from a deep knowledge of their audience. It’s vital you get to know yours, too.

Ask yourself – what’s the problem your audience needs to solve? What’s the benefit of your brand that will matter most to them? How do you want them to feel when they think about your brand?  

Put in the time to answer these questions and you’ll be on track to a tagline that turns heads. 

Go the distance

We won’t lie – it takes time to come up with a tagline that fits. The good news is, while slogans are designed to be quick and adaptable, a good tagline is a brand bedrock that should last for years – until the company itself changes and outgrows it. 

A few months’ head scratching and hard graft now should pay dividends for decades to come.

 

Let’s craft it together.