Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Taglines But Were Afraid To Ask
by MGB2B
The tagline. It defines your brand. Maybe you want it because you are the Nike of the components manufacturing world. Or the Apple of Commercial Construction. Or maybe you’re certain that you don’t need a tagline; everyone knows they’re pointless, right? You’re likely somewhere in the middle. However you may feel about taglines, this list of Frequently Asked Questions can help guide you in the right direction as you decide whether or not to have one and the best way to approach it.
Do I even need a tag line?
Most likely, yes. If you’re new to the market, having a tag line enables you to let others know who you are and/or what you’re selling. It can be used more as a descriptor than a brand line. Nike could use “Just Do It” because everyone already knew who Nike was; that may not be the case with your brand. You might need to explain yourself. Even if you’ve been on the market for a while, a tagline can help differentiate in the sea of horrible B2B brand messages that likely blanket your industry.
Should I do a one-word tagline?
Probably not. Unless you have the ubiquity of a brand like Apple or Nike, one word is not enough for people to know who you are, what you do, what you stand for, or what makes you better than your competitors.
Should I use the word “Solutions” in my tagline?
No. It’s overused by B2B brands. You want to stand out, not blend in.
But, what if we…
No. Just let it go.
Should I use different taglines for different audiences?
That depends. Are you an umbrella organization like Proctor & Gamble? Their tagline is “Touching Lives, Improving Life,” but they have many household brands (Bounty, Always, Old Spice) that fall beneath the P&G umbrella, each with different audiences and often its own tagline as well. If you aren’t an overarching brand with many brands beneath you, or if the brands that fall beneath you (and their audiences) have enough similarities, you probably only need one tagline.
Should I “lock up” my tagline with my logo?
Only if the lock is easy to pick. Creating a logo lockup is a nice way to ensure that the tagline gets into every piece of communication that you or your marketing agency produces. But there usually comes a time when you need something else to go underneath the logo. Or the tagline is too hard to read because it’s a in small space. Or you want to put the logo on a hat and it looks funny now. So yes, have a lockup, but be loose with it.
What’s an example of a good B2B tagline?
Safety Products Group is a company that sells rooftop safety rails and self-closing safety gates via its two sub-brands. Their new tagline, “Protect Your People. Protect Your Business.” clearly differentiates the brand from its competitors. While they could go with something simple like “We Know Safety,” the goal is to show that the company goes beyond being just a safety company to care about the businesses of its clients. [Full disclosure: Safety Products Group is a client of M//G B2B.]
Do you have a question about taglines we may have missed? Drop us a line – we’ll see if we can help you out.
Tags: B2B taglines, branding, marketing strategy