Note From Tongal: “How to Write a Tagline” is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tell Us About It Tongal Blog Project. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and stay tuned for more opportunities to Pitch a topic and write for the Tongal Blog!
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Let’s play a little game called Brand Recognition.
Read the following:
Think different
Just Do It
I’m Lovin’ it
Open happiness
Did brand names resonate with you immediately? Did the taglines evoke any feelings or a picture in your mind? Perhaps you visualized the Nike swoosh or the golden arches or maybe you heard the pop-fizz sound of a can of Coca-Cola opening. Maybe your stomach growled or you were instantly motivated to get moving.
Taglines…Pretty.
Powerful.
Stuff!
An effective tagline can instantly call to mind a product or brand without even mentioning the product and features. A good tagline will speak to how it will make you feel. By using just a few words a brand can make an impression and an association that can stay with consumers for a lifetime. If this connection has been achieved, then the brand has won a place in your mind; and that is exactly where they want to be.
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Many of the best taglines, like the ones mentioned above, are surprisingly simple; however, developing the tagline is not so simple. It can, in fact, be a lengthy process.
So how exactly do you create a powerful tagline and narrow it down to those few choice words? Here are a few tips that I have learned along my journey through the branding world:
Become one with the Brand
First, you need to have a deep understanding of the brand. You should get to know the brand’s DNA or brand essence. If you are not already familiar with the brand, then you need to dive deep into their company culture and values. You will want to learn their mission, vision, and brand personality. If the tagline is for a particular product, you will want to understand how the product is positioned.
Do your Research
If you are developing a tagline for a brand you are not 100% in tune with, then research is imperative. Peruse their website, try their products, read their social media posts and more importantly read what consumers are saying about them. I would argue the tagline may be more about the consumer than about the brand itself. Get to know the competition and where the brand stands in the marketplace.
Understand the Audience
You will need to get to know the target market. Learn the type of persona this demographic has. Understand what motivates them, and why they would choose this product. Listen! Hear what consumers are saying about the product or brand. You can draw inspiration from their commentary on social media. Perhaps the consumers themselves have already expressed your new tagline unintentionally on social media.
Brainstorm
I would be willing to bet the word “brainstorm” came from a tagline writing session because when it comes to developing a tagline, a tempestuous storm takes place in your brain.
So… let the brainstorm begin!
In association with your brand or product:
1. Write a sentence or two that says what you do, for whom you do it and what the key benefits are.
2. Write down what differentiates your brand from others, articulating your unique selling proposition.
3. Write down your goals and objectives. For example, Coca-Cola might say, “We want our consumer to buy Coca-Cola and know that they will feel happy if they do.” Nike might say, “We want the consumer to buy Nike sneakers and feel empowered to accomplish their dreams.”
4. Write some phrases that articulate your brand essence – the heart and soul of the brand.
5. Compile a list of taglines that you like.
6. Compile a list of taglines from the competition.
7. Compile a list of whys. Why are you better than the competition? Why does the consumer want to use your product?
8. List any keywords, themes or adjectives that describe your brand/product.
9. List action verbs that will motivate and empower.
10. List what consumers are saying about your brand/product.
The Long and Short of It
Your tagline should be succinct. It should be a distillation of your brand promise in a handful of words. How long should it be? Long enough to connect with the consumer on an emotional level.
We have seen one-word taglines, such as Hewlett Packard’s, “Invent” which can indeed be effective. We have also seen a few brands pull off the long-winded tagline. Geico, for example, has had great success with, "Fifteen minutes can save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” Another unforgettable long tagline is Nyquil’s, “The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy-head, fever, so you can rest medicine.”
Propose Your Taglines
Now you are ready to bring it all together and propose some taglines. Take the notes from your initial brainstorming session and read them over. Give yourself some time to let it all sink in. Think about it as you are going about your day. The perfect tagline may come to you unexpectedly - when you are in the car, in the shower or watching TV. As they come to you, jot them down, even if they aren’t perfect. Compile a solid list of potential taglines. If you are working with a team, regroup and combine your lists. (If you need to find a creative partner, you can reach out to other Tongalers using direct message or post something in our crew finder forum.)
Evaluate
Now that you have a few potential winners, you must critically evaluate any taglines you have proposed.
Ask yourself some questions.
• Does it speak to your audience?
• Will it motivate, inspire or emotionally connect with your audience?
• Will it stand the test of time?
Play around with different options. If you like the message it sends, but not the way it flows, try swapping out some words with synonyms or approaching the same message in a different way. Perhaps McDonald’s wanted to send the message “Try it, you’ll love it.” but did not want to be so direct and cliché – so they transformed it to “I’m lovin’ it,” drawing an emotional connection to the consumer.
Get Feedback
Bounce your ideas off of people. This is a time where you should welcome harsh criticism. You will ultimately appreciate if someone says, “That tagline is awful!” If you can’t in good conscience, defend it, then you can take it off your list.
Sleep on it
Once all of the juices are flowing the possibilities may flow like water from a spout. But proceed with care, that stroke of genius you had last night may sound ridiculous and completely off base tomorrow. You should sleep on it. Float it around for a few days if time permits.
Test It
One of the most important steps in my tagline creation process is the testing phase. Here are some unofficial tests I have created as part of my tagline development process:
The "What could go wrong?" Test
Ask yourself “What could go wrong?” and evaluate if it could unintentionally offend anyone, get lost in translation or backfire in some other way. Really think about this! Let’s face it, you do not want to become the next case study on branding mistakes.
The Juvenile Humor Test
Can people make potty jokes with your tagline? Sorry UPS, perhaps the recent tagline, “What can brown do for you?” would have worked better if your uniforms and trucks were blue. The “subject it to juvenile humor” test should have been applied.
The Miranda rights test (A 2-part test)
• Anything you say can and will be used against you. Consumers are a savvy bunch these days. They know authenticity when they see it and hear it. Ask yourself, can it come back with an unintentional negative perception of the brand? How can it be used against us? If it is not believable, you will be called out. You do not want your tagline to be used against you.
• You have the right to an attorney. Check to see if it already in use and/or trademarked.
The Campaign Test
Try applying it to a video campaign, a print campaign, social media initiatives or even on a T-shirt. Does it truly express what you want it to? Can it work for a series of advertisements? Will it work in all forms of media? Is it adaptable?
The Spokesperson Test
Say it, shout it, sing it! Pretend you are a spokesperson on TV. How does it sound when spoken aloud? How should it be verbalized? Where should the inflection be? Try it on for size like Chris Pratt in the Michelob Ultra campaign:
The Don’ts
• Don’t make promises you can’t live up to.
• Don’t claim to be something you are not.
• Don’t try to be all things to all people.
• Don’t try to please everyone in your organization.
Just Do It
You need to have confidence in the tagline if you are going to get behind it and promote it further. You also need buy-in from the organization. It needs to feel good and flow well. You will almost always have naysayers, people who reject it or think they could do better, but you will know when you have it right.
Your tagline should be easily understood, easy to say and catchy. A good tagline will work for itself. People will pick it up and run with it, share it, say it and adopt it. A good tagline will stick. As you begin your tagline creation journey have fun, Taste the Rainbow, Think Different, Reach out and touch someone, and Open Happiness. Create your emotionally engaging taglines, and hopefully, when you are done you will be saying, “That was easy!” and the consumers will be Lovin’ it!
