20 Responses to “Never pick a tagline that just anyone can use. Ever.”

1. Mark Goren says:

   Better yet, how about taking the tagline and popping it into Google. This and the logo test will give you an excellent idea of just how bad an idea it is to commit to that tagline.

   May 6th, 2008 at 6:34 am

2. linkerjpatrick says:

   We have something similar at my company, We say Develop, Organize, Secure and Market. At one time is was “sort” of a tag line but now we are calling it the outline of our work flow. Our official tag line which we are just now getting off the ground is;

   Harmonious New Media and it’s being received very well. I can tell you that getting something like that down to three words that were not separated by commas is harder than one thinks but is an excellent exercise in smart simplicity.

   May 6th, 2008 at 7:19 am

3. Evan says:

   Spike, thanks for sharing that list. It must have taken a while to create and organize. You’re right, to engage and connect you have to own your tagline.

   Do you want to join forces and create a triteness police squad with me?

   May 6th, 2008 at 7:35 am

4. olivier blanchard says:

   How about “kill your tagline and bury it.”

   Gucci, Starbucks, RayBan, Yves St. Laurent, Cartier and Bentley may have taglines, but I’d venture to say no one knows what they are. Why? because a strong brand doesn’t need to explain itself through a tagline.

   I hate taglines with a passion. They almost always suck, and rarely add anything to the brand they are supposed to serve.

   A few exceptions to put this comment in perspective:

   HBO - It isn’t TV. It’s HBO.
   VW - Drivers Wanted.
   Apple - Think Different.

   Why do these taglines work? Because these brands are market disruptors and game changers - and therefore need a little extra definition here and there. Beyond that, creating taglines for most companies is a complete waste of time. The fact that most taglines are boring and interchangeable more than illustrates that point.

   Terrific post, Spike.

   May 6th, 2008 at 8:51 am

5. Spike says:

   Mark - great idea!

   Patrick - yikes, that “old” tagline would’ve fit in nicely with the ones above. Kudos for moving on.

   Evan - Yes.

   O - And a terrific comment. I couldn’t. Agree. More.

   May 6th, 2008 at 9:56 am

6. Mr. Steve says:

   Let’s look beyond the taglines here, though. Those company names are just as uninspired. Based on the company name AND taglines given in the list, can you name what any one of those companies does? At all? Here’s a fun exercise while going back through the list…if you can plop that tagline into five different industries, you need to rethink things.
   “Share. Connect. Grow. (4marks)” Could be a social network, advertising company, computer company, investment company, crayon manufacturer, steroid factory, professional connect-the-dots league…whatever. Sheesh.

   May 6th, 2008 at 11:18 am

7. linkerjpatrick says:

   In a way I agree with Oliver because I have felt the same way about so called, elevator speeches. At one point I felt really pressured I need to use the same so called speech at every occasion but then I realized that I could have a introduction but not nessisarily the same introduction everytime I meet someone and rarely do I find myself in a position where I want to start marketing in an elevator, maybe it’s just because the elevator I have been spending the most time in lately is the one at the hospital but that’s an example of evaluating the situation but Greenville doesn’t have any elevators I know of that offer a long enough ride where I feel comfortable enough to start talking about my business.

   The tag line, matra, motto or whatever you want to call it is a good exercise in trying to discover a way to say what you do or provide in the fewest words. I may change what I had.

   Those 4 words I had before as I said were not really the tag line per se. I may have used it as one. I still use those 4 words in conversation but it’s usually the second or third level of conversation and those 4 words don’t really give the details away as we are always fine tuning that process based on experience and research.

   I will say however that when I decide to make new t-shirts or other promotional items I will be more excited about putting the new tag line I developed that what I had before. Not that it’s totally original but it stands a better chance or initiating conversation which it already has in networking meetings, etc.

   In our business it’s extremely important we work hard to constantly perfect our own marketing and branding if we are going to do the same thing for others.

   May 6th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

8. D.W. says:

   I’m in higher ed, and we actually had a high school student tell us he doesn’t care about taglines or listen to them. Kinda of makes all the hours I have to spend dreaming them up for people seem completely pointless …

   May 7th, 2008 at 5:33 am

9. BIG Kahuna says:

   Gosh, saying taglines are useless is so ridiculous. That’s like saying WOM is useless. The problem with taglines or anything else is that most are not done correctly. When a tagline is done correctly they become a tool that differentiates and develops brand awareness.

   Here’s a list of taglines that did pretty well for their respective companies:

   1. You deserve a break today.
   2. Be all that you can be.
   3. Just do it.
   4. It’s the real thing.
   5. Where’s the beef?
   6. It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.
   7. We try harder.
   8. Oh, what a feeling?
   9. You’ve come a long way, baby.
   10. Mmm mmm good
   11. It’s where you want to be.
   12. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
   13. Don’t leave home without it.
   14. A different kind of company. A different kind of car.
   15. The Uncola.
   16. Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.
   17. When you care enough to send the very best.
   18. Have it your way at?
   19. All the News That’s Fit to Print.
   20. Put a tiger in your tank.
   21. Snap! Crackle! Pop!
   22. We bring good things to life.
   23. It’s not just a job ? it’s an adventure.
   24. The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.
   25. Nothing beats a great pair of legs.

   Spike I’m sure you’ve seen some pretty bad WOM. When it’s bad, it’s bad no matter what it is. But an effective tagline can help make a company billions and create tremendous brand awareness. It’s just one other integrated branding element in the big mix of things. Think of a tagline as just another weapon at your disposal.

   Is anyone going to argue the tagline “Just Do It”? Safe to say it did pretty well for that swoosh company.

   Once again, as Spike pointed out most companies fail at doing it correctly. Which is the real issue with taglines.

   May 10th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

10. Spike says:

    Funny, but of all those taglines, I believe that only a few are still in use.

    May 11th, 2008 at 5:57 am

11. BIG Kahuna says:

    Like any “movement” change must happen.

    Personally I think Nike made a big mistake by dumping “Just Do It”. But the fact is that a well done tagline builds brand awareness and ultimately sales (which is still pretty important).

    Once again, a multi-tiered integrated program (which could include WOM, tagline, direct marketing, advertising etc.) is the best way to go. But to make a broad statement that a tagline is useless is, well…useless.

    May 11th, 2008 at 6:32 am

12. BIG Kahuna says:

    How about Volvo: “For Life”. It leverages their brand identity of safety really well. And offers a benefit to the potential buyer (saves lives). Great tagline. I’m betting it does more good than not having a tagline.

    Don’t forget Mini’s: Let’s Motor (my wife has a suped up Mini). Or BMW’s “The ultimate driving machine”. Not too bad I must say…

    May 11th, 2008 at 6:40 am

13. Spike says:

    I didn’t ever say that they were useless. But they sure aren’t a mandatory part of the marketing mix. I would love to take your list of famous taglines out on the street and see how many the average American could identify. My guess would be less than a third - if that.

    May 11th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

14. BIG Kahuna says:

    I believe a tagline is a necessary part of the overall mix but I’m a true branding guy. But they are just a part. It’s an intergrated approach that makes the BIG difference.

    As far as taking the list out, that’s up to you. Some are obviously old but the truth is during whatever time they were used they were strong and they’ve made their respective companies millions. Maybe even billions.

    May 11th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

15. Christy says:

    Wait. I thought the point of this post was to make sure your “rallying cry” isn’t so generic that it applies to your competitor.

    Sometimes taglines are necessary, sometimes they’re not. Google doesn’t need a tagline. Nor does Kleenex, now. Maybe they did in the day — “More disposable than your average hankie.” I can imagine that one today being, “Don’t share your germs.”

    May 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

16. BIG Kahuna says:

    Why doesn’t Google need a tagline? Who’s to say if they had one it wouldn’t make them even bigger, stronger? A tagline is like a logo. It’s a way to differentiate. If done correctly a tagline can only help position and differentiate. That’s always a good thing.

    Kleenex has a tagline: “Let it out”. And if you visit their site: http://www.kleenex.com/NA/Default.aspx you’ll see that’s it’s a MAJOR campaign for them.

    A good tagline is necessary. Always. The problem is that they are often done incorrectly. But just the fact that people think they’re unnecessary dumbfounds me. As a branding guy I’m perplexed by it.

    We always recommend a tagline with an identity. If that’s “old school” then damn I’m guilty. Good taglines work and that’s a fact that can’t be disputed.

    Bad taglines (one’s that try and be everything to everyone) usually don’t. So I agree with Spike on that but yet again will have to agree to disagree that taglines aren’t necessary. If that were the case why even have a logo/logotype? It’s all part of the identity package.

    Just my opinion as a branding guy.

    May 12th, 2008 at 10:53 pm

17. Christy says:

    Okay, I’ll admit to not being a branding person. What kind of a tagline would you come up with for Google? Maybe a good one would have propelled them faster, but geesh! It’s already huge, and it happened so quickly that I don’t think anyone is really complaining.

    I don’t think taglines are old school. I just bristle at having to say the name of the company withthetaglingattachedlikeaKlingon.

    Is “Let it out” really their new tagline, or title of the campaign? As a consumer, that’s where I really don’t care. It’s Kleenex. And (again, as a consumer, not a branding person) I expect them to change it soon. So, how can it be a part of their identity if they’re always changing it?

    From where I sit in the grocery aisle, I really don’t care what a brand has to say about itself. I care if the product/service/whatever does what I want it to do.

    And maybe, just maybe, my non-branding background jades me because I’ve been exposed to so much advertising that I just don’t care anymore.

    I don’t disagree that taglines work. I just wonder what other consumers think. Would I buy Nike shoes if they hadn’t said, “Just do it?” I can’t answer that.

    Thanks for helping me refine my position, even if I’m not totally sold yet.

    May 13th, 2008 at 7:37 am

18. Learn to write sexy-useful straplines : MediaVision Blog : Search Engine Marketing says:

    […] which escorts a company’s logo into the public eye. I’ve seen it referred to as business’s war cry. I’d add that it’s like the Lunar Module landing on the Moon: delicate, precise, and if all […]

    May 15th, 2008 at 1:57 am

19. Cam Beck says:

    Ugh. Very effective, Spike. Message received.

    May 15th, 2008 at 9:54 am

20. BIG Kahuna says:

    Christy, Spike hit the nail on the head when he used the example of a bad tagline. Most companies fail at making a proper tagline. Here’s my take as to how to use a tagline:

    A tagline should reinforce a company’s brand identity and show a benefit. They’re not suppose to be cute and catchy but strategic and meaningful.

    Here’s an example of a great tagline:

    Volvo
    For Life

    The tagline leverages the “safety” brand identity and shows a benefit (saving lives).

    It’s just another way to say to the consumer that Volvo cares about safety. It’s really a brilliant tagline.

    We always recommend tags because they can only help as long as they leverage the brand identity.

    Brains on Fire has one (even if that’s not what they intended) “fascinate, inspire, reward, engage”. They may not call it a tagline but when you read all their stuff it comes accross as one (perception is reality thing).

    May 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

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