When Taglines Go Wrong
When developing a tagline, stay away from ideas that are vague, bland, stale, or untruthful. And try to avoid making a statement that could just as easily describe a competitor. Remember, a tagline should make you stand out like, well, a thumb of approval. Unfortunately, many taglines—especially in the professional services—are limp, do-nothing slogans.
Let’s look at taglines in use today that aren’t helping their businesses.
“We make sure”
(Fujitsu Siemens)
The obvious response to this tagline is “Okay. You make sure of what?” The statement is so incomplete and bizarre that we aren’t sure at all what to make of it. A tagline that raises unintended questions is not helping your brand.
“Helping clients succeed”
(Booz Allen Hamilton)
Well, for the fees they charge, we would hope so! This blandest of platitudes raises a big question: do they have the imagination to help me succeed?
“A passion for the business of accounting”
(Grant Thornton)
It’s great that they love their jobs. But what about us, the prospective client? What does this tagline tell us that would motivate us to choose Grant Thornton over another local or Big 4 accounting firm? (Spoiler hint: nothing at all.)
These are large, market-leading companies, but their taglines, like their overall brands, are watered down so that they won’t offend—or impress—anyone.
Filed under: Branding, Elements of a Successful Brand, Marketing, Messaging, Pivot, Positioning, Professional Services, Tagline | Leave a Comment
No Responses Yet to “When Taglines Go Wrong”