How to Create The Perfect Brand Tagline

To begin creating a great tagline, you need to understand the different types of taglines:

Imperative taglines are a command, action, or direction that usually starts with a verb. For example: Nike “Just do it”, Apple “Think Different”, Crocs “Feel the love”.

Descriptive taglines describe the service, product, or brand promise. For example: Target “Expect more. Pay less”, TED “Ideas worth spreading”, Allstate “You’re in good hands”.

Superlative taglines position the company as the best or top of their category. For example: BMW “The ultimate driving machine”, Budweiser “The king of beers”, Debeers “A diamond is forever”.

Provocative taglines are thought-provoking or ironic. Frequently in the form of a question. For example: Verizon Wireless “Can you hear me now?”, Dairy Council “Got milk?.

Specific taglines define and reveal the business or products. For example: Volkswagen “Drivers wanted”, Skittles “Taste the rainbow”, Olay “Love the skin you’re in”.

Depending on your business, the type of tagline that works for your brand should be fairly obvious.

So now let’s begin the 6 step process of writing your unforgettable tagline.

Step 1: Get Inspired

The first step is to get inspiration from the taglines of other brands.

Specifically those who are using the same tagline type as yours.

Pay close attention to how you feel when you see the words, and when you hear them.

Do you instantly know what the brand does and what it stands for? Is it memorable?

Take a look at your competitors’ taglines, and think about how you can differentiate yourself from them.

Step 2: Review

Once again, go back and review your brand purpose, vision, mission, and values you defined in stage 4.

Your tagline should support your brand values, solidify your promise, and establish consumer trust.

Step 3: Brainstorm

Just like when defining your brand name, it’s time once again to gather your team for a collaborative brainstorming session.

Armed with your core values, your differentiators, your target audience, and your competitor analysis begin writing out a few paragraphs that describe what you do and who you do it for.

Think about your brand promise and how you help people.

Try to inject emotion and add your brand personality that you defined in the previous module.

In your brainstorming session, constantly be asking yourself these questions:

• What’s our promise?
• How do we help people?
• Who’s our customer?
• Who’s our competition?
• How can we say this simply?

Step 4: Condense

Next take the paragraphs you wrote and combine and consolidate them down into a single sentence or two.

The goal is to distill the core of what you’re trying to say. Aim for 2-3 options.

Step 5: Refine

Now it’s time to tighten up and polish these sentences even more.

This is the toughest part.

Continue working with your team all along the way.

The collaborative environment will help you flush out the unnecessary words that are not supporting the tagline.

Once again, try to narrow your options down to 2-3 well-refined, short, but powerful taglines.

Step 6: Test

Finally, it’s time to test out your tagline.

Show your taglines and speak them to your employees and customers.

Pay attention to what resonates with them, how they respond, and if there are any unexpected associations people make.

Throughout this entire process, remember that your tagline does not need to be a literal explanation of your product.

For example, “Just do it” does not explain shoes or athletic apparel.

Some of the most successful brand taglines express the benefits their products deliver.

And please remember, this process will take some time.

But don’t settle. Keep experimenting, tweaking, and refining until you have a winner that everyone feels great about.

So that’s about it. To continue your training, please be sure to download and complete the free action guide below.