What is a tagline? How to write one that makes an impression

A tagline plays a big part in advertising and introducing products to customers. If you want to learn what a tagline is or create a memorable one, don't skip this article. Below, Mona Media shares everything you need to know about taglines.

What is a tagline? Where taglines come from

A tagline is a marketing term for a short phrase tied to a brand. Many people still confuse a slogan with a tagline. So what exactly is a tagline, and how do you create a memorable one? Knowing the definition of a tagline, where it came from and how it differs from a slogan will help you understand important marketing campaigns, brand promotion, and services and products.

What is a tagline?

A tagline is a professional term widely used in Marketing to position a product and express a business's philosophy. At its core, a tagline is a short phrase or sentence with meaning and a strong impression that moves customers' emotions.

A memorable tagline builds the brand's name, adds value to the product, expresses a point of view and has a big influence on customers remembering the brand, raising their trust even further.

Taglines of famous brands around the world include Canon's “Delighting You Always”, Nike's “Just do it” and Oppo's “Camera phone”. The closing line of each of these ads leaves an impression, so customers keep remembering the brand.

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How taglines came about

The first tagline in the media industry came from Tom Bodett. It was born by chance, from Tom Bodett's improvisation while recording a radio ad for Motel 6 with a little time left over.

To round out the ad and use the extra seconds, he added the line “We’ll leave the light on for you”. Tom Bodett could not have imagined at the time that his line would become a big hit with customers. When it aired, it was a hit. Even 30 years later, listeners remembering the Motel 6 ad still can't forget his improvised tagline.

After the success of Tom Bodett's tagline in the Motel 6 radio ad, strategists, SEOs and marketers began to study taglines and use them in advertising strategies to position and spread the brand, raise product value and build customers' trust in the business.

Tagline vs. slogan

Now that you know what a tagline is, let's look at how it differs from a slogan. To tell them apart, you first need to know what a slogan is. A slogan is a short phrase usually used to express a value, a promise or the direction of a product. A slogan is descriptive and highly persuasive, and it can carry the strategy of a brand or company.

A slogan is considered one of the essential tools for building brand value. It helps customers and consumers quickly understand what the brand is and how it differs from other brands.

The idea is to create a chain of impressions that combines the look and sound of the product. A tagline, on the other hand, strengthens and reinforces the customer's memory of the product you marketed earlier. Besides ad headlines, posters and CD or DVD covers, taglines are also used to promote films and TV programs.

The biggest differences between a tagline and a slogan are:

• A tagline is for the companyand it condenses everything about the product, carrying the company's identity and goals. It is long-lasting and usually sits alongside the logo.
• Slogan A slogan is different. It is usually used for a campaign or one product of the company, lasts a short time and has a narrower scope. Company slogans are often changed to stay fresh and keep consumers from getting bored.

For example, OMO's slogan is “Đánh bay mọi vết bẩn” (Blow away every stain), while the tagline for the same product line is “Học hỏi điều hay, ngại gì vết bẩn” (Learn something good, why worry about stains). Vinamilk uses a slogan with the message “Sức khỏe và vẻ đẹp của bạn” (Your health and beauty), but Vinamilk has several taglines and changes its tagline strategy by period. For example: “Chất lượng quốc tế – Chất lượng Vinamilk” (International quality, Vinamilk quality) or the tagline “Vì thế hệ tương lai vượt trội, Vươn cao Việt Nam” (For an outstanding future generation, Vietnam rising)

What role does a tagline play for a business?

Now that you know what a tagline is, let's look at the role of a tagline in a business. A tagline works as a key rallying phrase that guides and promotes the business's image. Many businesses put real effort into creating a tagline to build a distinct identity for the brand or service they offer.

The more memorable the tagline and the stronger the emotion it creates, the more customers trust the brand. A tagline can also become an “invisible” weapon against competitors.

To build customer trust, raise goodwill toward the brand and connect customers emotionally with a product or service, research and create more striking taglines.

There is evidence that many brands with memorable taglines see customers buy them to show their status or to say something to loved ones as a gift.

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Types of taglines today

What is a tagline, and how many types are there today? Taglines come in several types. Each business or brand can pick a type based on the product or service, the target customers and the timing of the ad. For example:

Descriptive tagline

Used to convey communication values that introduce a product or brand. For example, Walmart's tagline: “Walmart – Save money. Live better”, or the tagline of the well-known Vietnamese footwear brand Biti’s: “Biti’s, nâng niu bàn chân Việt” (Biti's, cherishing Vietnamese feet)

Imperative tagline

These taglines use strong verbs to command and push customers to act. For example, Nike: “Nike – Just Do It”, YouTube: “YouTube – Broadcast Yourself”, and Coca-Cola, which built a global brand with “Coca-Cola – Open Happiness”!

Evocative tagline

These taglines build customers' belief and strong desire to own a brand, product or service. For example, Dove awakened women's dream of beauty with the tagline: “Dove – Bạn đẹp hơn bạn nghĩ” (You are more beautiful than you think).

Specific tagline

These are taglines a brand uses to make its product stand out. They leave customers with a strong impression, goodwill and trust in the brand. For example, Olay: “Olay – Love the skin you’re in”. L’Oreal uses the tagline “L’Oreal: Vì Bạn Xứng Đáng” (Because you're worth it)

Question tagline

Question taglines wake up a need and push customers to act. They make customers think about whether they need the service or product and move faster to act. For example, Capital One positioned its brand and tapped customers' needs with the tagline “Capital One: What's in your wallet?”

Superlative tagline

This type targets customers who want to show personality, class and success. For example: Budweiser – The king of beers, or BMW – The ultimate driving machine.

How to create a memorable tagline

Now that you know why taglines matter, let's look at how to create a memorable one. A good tagline usually meets the criteria below:

Concise

A tagline works like a label that lets people see the key qualities at a glance, which beats a hundred-page book. Most ad agencies and their clients like short taglines that sit well next to the logo.

You can also make a tagline easier for people to remember with rhyme, inversion, repeated sounds, double meanings, coined words and so on. A tagline does not have to be short, since many long ones are remembered well by customers.

Creative ideas

How do you create a tagline? Never let it be just a bland, vague, meaningless statement. Use adjectives and verbs that put the reader in your field. Use simple, clear, easy-to-understand language.

Whatever your goal, don't make things hard for your customers. Be memorable but keep it simple. Don't use lofty words that only people in your industry understand.

Friendly

A tagline is not only about making an impression or sending a message. With friendliness and sincerity it can also help you build a long-term relationship with the reader.

Easy-to-understand wording

Words are a “weapon” that can reach the mind, touch emotions and prompt customers to buy. Readers and listeners won't have the patience to dig for deeper meaning. They need words that are easy to understand but leave a strong impression.

The craft of wording in a tagline has the power to help you reach customers and brand awareness stay lodged in their thoughts and subconscious. So study the wording and your audience to find the most persuasive words.

Be sincere

Don't use clickbait taglines that stray from reality. Study the products and services you offer and the strengths they have. Then build sincere taglines on the strengths you actually have.

When customers trust the brand because of this sincerity, they remember it longer. Sincerity even raises trust and makes it easier for customers to choose your product or service rather than wonder whether to pick a competitor's.

Create a focal point

A tagline always needs a focal point and a core idea, so readers get a strong impression and feel drawn to it the moment they see it. For example, cosmetics brands have taglines like “Dove – Bạn đẹp hơn bạn nghĩ” (You are more beautiful than you think), “Olay – Love the skin you’re in”, “L’Oreal: Vì Bạn Xứng Đáng” (Because you're worth it) or “IVY Moda – Tuyên ngôn thời trang của tôi” (My fashion statement)!

Through these taglines, women feel a rush of emotion, value themselves and want to look and feel beautiful. Self-confidence grows. They feel respected and loved. These taglines create a focal point and hit customers' psychology, connecting them better with the product or service.

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Tell a story

A top content trend today is telling a story with a meaningful message in it. Bitis does this type of tagline very well, telling stories through its media ads with messages like “đi để trở về” (go in order to come back), “nâng niu bàn chân Việt” (cherish Vietnamese feet) and “dấu chân của Tây Sơn thần tốc” (the footsteps of the swift Tay Son army)…

Stories inspire people, promote the brand well and touch more people's emotions. Stories with a specific, sharp message can also create trend and the community helps push the brand further.

Building a tagline that attracts customers

To attract customers, you have to study who they are, what habits they have and what they need. Research on demographics, location, the quality of the digital environment and current trends will help you understand what your customers need from a product or service. Then work through many taglines to catch their interest and attention.

Some brands research and create many taglines and change them with each strategy. Building several taglines also helps you choose the best one for the field you do business in.

More important still is studying customer queries to select keywords, and knowing the brand's position and its advantages… To build a tagline with a strong message that connects emotionally and drives customers to act, pay attention to the following:

Define the brand and product values

Who are your brand's competitors? What does your product have a competitive advantage and what features and benefits do other brands lack? Find the answer about the brand's value to create taglines that leave a strong mark. Understanding the brand's value is a big advantage.

A brand has a large effect on the product's price, its reliability and customers' desire to own it. That is why big brands always offer products that are both high quality and high priced, yet customers still want to own them.

If a brand's product or service doesn't know its strengths and what sets it apart from competitors, it is very hard to attract customers.

Condense the content into keywords

Whoever creates the tagline should research keywords to condense the content and the message inside them. You can write down many tagline ideas and research related keywords for inspiration, aiming at messages that reach customers' highest emotional point.

If a tagline contains keywords and information related to the brand, the campaign to spread the brand, reach customers and encourage purchases will be more effective.

Set the direction for the idea

The tagline began with Tom Bodett's improvisation in the Motel 6 radio ad. That success was an unexpected turning point for taglines. Today, a tagline campaign needs a strategy, time and people to create and develop ideas. Sometimes it even needs the combined direction of a marketing team. Take plenty of time to create and brainstorm, and gather suggestions from many people to settle on the most suitable tagline.

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Turn the keywords into wording

Once you have the direction and have condensed the content into keywords, turn those ideas and keywords into distinctive, meaningful phrases that carry the right inspiration and message to your customers.

Review and edit

Don't rush to use the phrases you've drafted. Polish them and change them word by word to get the wording as sharp as it can be. A tagline built from many viewpoints, with input and edits from team members, ends up more complete and objective.

During review and editing, stay true to the original guiding purpose so the tagline doesn't drift far from the starting direction.

Final approval

A tagline is the mark of a brand and the message the business wants to send customers. Customers also use taglines to express their own outlook, social status and needs, and may send them to friends, family and partners through gifts. So after refining, do a final approval to get everyone aligned before the tagline is used in advertising.

Things to note when designing a tagline

Designing and creating a good tagline is an art of wording, and it takes professionalism and an understanding of the market and customers. To shape a tagline that is polished in every word, inspires and affects readers, builds the wish to use the product or service and prompts action, pay attention to the following:

Choose who writes the tagline

A tagline can be written by different people. You can pick staff inside the company, freelance content writers, or a reputable professional tagline agency.

• Staff inside the company who know customers, the market, and the product or service well are strong candidates to write the tagline. People who love the job, have talent and draw inspiration from content, and who understand customers and the service thoroughly, will create taglines that connect best.
• Freelance writers who specialize in content creation are also an option. Most of them already have experience in content creation. They have a talent for playing with words and understand the power of language, so they can create valuable taglines.
• Professional design agencies work in the marketing industry. When a business needs a tagline, they bring a professional team and marketing tools to assess the market, study the product, analyze needs and behavior, and segment customers to create the best taglines.

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Touch the reader's emotions

What is the most important factor for a tagline? No matter who comes up with the idea and writes the tagline, the most important thing is still to touch the reader's emotions. Only when it touches emotions does it mark the brand's identity and push customers to act. Customers have no need to buy if the tagline doesn't give them strong feelings.

Come up with many ideas to choose from

Collect tagline ideas from many team members. Some ideas come in a flash, and others need careful research and inspiration. With many options, it is easier to refine and finish the tagline.

Use phrases with influence

Use easy-to-understand words that are easy to remember. Words that hit hard but are easy to remember help customers recall the brand's tagline quickly. Just hearing those phrases, customers picture your brand. That is the real success of building a brand mark from a good tagline.

Don't try to be perfect

Everyone writing a tagline wants perfection, but that perfection must stay within the quality of the product and the field the business is in. A tagline that is perfect but goes beyond what the product or service can deliver cannot be sincere. Customers won't trust it, and the urge to buy won't be strong.

Look at big brands

The taglines of big brands always leave a deep impression, build trust and make customers want the product. So if you have no idea, or too many options, study how big brands use taglines. These taglines are usually researched and written by strong PR and marketing teams, so you can learn from them and get ideas for your own tagline.

Taglines of well-known brands

You now know why a tagline matters to a business. Next, here are the taglines of some brands. Vietnamese and international brands alike have taglines that touch emotions and push customers to buy. Most taglines from big brands carry the brand's mark and express a statement about style, social standing and the pride behind it. Take a look at taglines from international and Vietnamese brands for inspiration to create quality, memorable taglines.

International brands

• Apple – Think Different created strong competition with IBM. Apple's message makes customers feel the class of using Apple products. Customers feel prouder, more stylish and more successful, taking a path meant for special people.
• McDonald’s – I’m Lovin’ It helped McDonald's send a message of loving the food to its customers. People using McDonald's products always feel their choice was the right one.
• KFC – It’s finger-lickin’ good created a tagline that stresses how good the food tastes. Customers enjoying KFC are stirred by these messages and feel the food tastes even better.
• Nike – Just Do It stirred customers' strength and willpower. This tagline pushes buyers to act boldly and spreads the inspiration to live life to the fullest.
• General Electric – We Bring Good Things to Life is the great message from General Electric's tagline. It makes customers proud to look after their own lives and enjoy the comfort of quality General Electric products. Trust in the product and the feeling of enjoying life grow when customers take in the message We Bring Good Things to Life.

Vietnamese brands

• Bitis – Nâng niu bàn chân Việt (Cherishing Vietnamese feet) is one of the messages that give pride in a Vietnamese brand. Customers always feel their feet are cared for. Every step in Bitis shoes makes customers feel more confident.
• Vietjet – Bay là thích ngay (Fly and you'll love it) is a fun message that encourages customers to enjoy life's journeys. Everyone who meets this tagline is inspired to travel far and discover new places.
• Prudential – Luôn luôn lắng nghe, luôn luôn thấu hiểu (Always listening, always understanding) from the insurer Prudential always leaves customers feeling at ease when they choose its services.
• Mobifone – Mọi lúc mọi nơi (Anytime, anywhere) is a statement about service quality. With this tagline, users feel they are using the best telecom service in Vietnam.
• Trung Nguyen Coffee – Khơi nguồn sáng tạo (Spark creativity) is a statement that inspires many people every new day. Customers find motivation to work with Trung Nguyen coffee not only because it tastes good, but because the tagline “Khơi nguồn sáng tạo” (Spark creativity) also fuels each person's endless creativity.
• OMO – Học hỏi điều hay, ngại gì vết bẩn (Learn something good, why worry about stains) is a great message from OMO. Mothers can let their children play freely and worry less about stains on their family's clothes, thanks to this message.

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Frequently asked questions about taglines

Using taglines raises many questions that need answers. Below are questions about taglines that many people care about.

When should you use a tagline instead of a slogan?

Now that you know what a tagline is, when should you use a tagline and when a slogan? A slogan can change after a period of use or depending on advertising strategy. A tagline usually carries the brand's core values. A tagline is also a promise of quality and positions the business's reputation, so it lasts as long as the brand grows. Use slogans for advertising strategies, and they can change with the season. Keep the tagline as it is, so it stays with the brand for as long as it is in the market.

Is it a problem to have no tagline?

How important is a tagline, and is it a problem to go without one? Many new brands still don't pay attention to taglines. In today's internet business world, with ever stronger competition, using a tagline is essential. A tagline creates inspiring stories, delivers valuable messages and stirs the emotions and the need that push customers to buy. Every business and brand should create taglines that fit its service to spread the brand and boost demand.

Can a tagline be changed?

A tagline can change over time, with market trends, and when products or services reach a new level of quality, design and so on. Just make sure the new tagline is better than the old one, carries the message and emotion better, and connects and spreads the brand faster than the previous taglines.

That's everything about tagline meaning and how you can build a memorable, distinctive tagline. The steps above will help you see what you need to do and what you have already done. We hope this article helps you create the tagline you're happiest with.

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