Nonprofit Performance 360 Issue 13

GERRY FOSTER

A Great Tagline Means Greater Success

What do all of these advertising claims have in common? • BMW – the ultimate driving machine • Michelin – because so much is riding on your tires • Tylenol – it’s hospital recommended. • Neutrogena Cleansing Bar – take your skin beyond clean … all the way to clear • Miller Lite – tastes great, less filling • Lay’s Potato Chips – bet you can’t eat just one • Rolaids – spells relief • Allstate – you’re in good hands with Allstate • Chevrolet – like a rock • Visa – it’s everywhere you want to be • DeBeers – a diamond is forever • US Army – be all that you can be The answer: They’re classic taglines that let consumers know what they will get from that brand, or what’s possible if they use that brand. In the long and challenging process of standing out in a crowded market, provocatively expressing the unique value of your product or service with imaginative, compelling words is critical to your success. Your tagline, which should appear underneath your logo or company name on a business card, is the key copy phrase that enrolls people in what you have to offer. Make no mistake about it: when it comes to differentiating yourself from the crowd,

Taglines are a proven way to help generate and maintain name recognition in the markets you compete in - so much so that something always relevant and fresh will come to people’s minds when they hear your brand name or see your logo. There’s probably no better example of this than what Procter and Gamble has done with the runaway laundry detergent leader, Tide, over the years. Back in the day when I was with Procter & Gamble, working one cubicle over from the Tide Brand Group, Tide was positioned as the “best against dirt.”Over the years, some classic taglines have been developed: • Tide’s in, dirt’s out • Tide gets out the dirt kids get into • Dirt can’t hide from intensified Tide • If it’s got to be clean, it’s got to be Tide Each copy word cuts to the chase. It lets the consumer know instantly what value he or she will receive. Flag Your Uniqueness The ball is in your court, as they say. You’ve got to decide on the unique value you can be counted on to deliver. Is it a solution to a problem, a desired result, or an incredible contribution you provide? Do you wish to promise certain feelings and beliefs (emotional benefits)? Or what about performance factors (some- thing you can deliver consistently)?

there’s nothing like the power of a tagline. It’s like a thumbprint. It’s a distinct, worthy identity that is absolutely, positively yours. It’s telling people that you are one of a kind. See, there may be others in the same business as you, but no one is just like you. No one possesses the qualities that make you unique. No one thinks like you, or loves working with people like you, or may be as committed to get the job done, with your level of energy, dedication, and follow-through. No one has a knack for solving certain types of problems like you do. No one communicates, and listens, and is as good- natured as you are. You are like no other. You are truly special. These are just a few examples of the distinguishing values and talents you might possess. I don’t know. You tell me. You have to decide on who you are and what is distinct about you, so that you can declare it to your target audience in the form of a tagline. In advertising, developing a tagline is part of a branding process called this: finding the single, BIG IDEA in your brand (your product or service).

38 I Nonprofit Performance Magazine