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The following contains excerpts from an article that appeared in Marketing Magazine:
Wistful nonsense or compelling promise? MICHELLE WARREN explores whether advertising tag lines are obsolete in our fragmented media world.Most marketers would love to "Just do it." That is, embed their tag line, as Nike did, in the consumer consciousness. But for every "Just do it," there are tens of thousands of "Didn'ts." These are tag lines that flopped, fizzled or, worse still, were mocked into irrelevance. While many attain the goal of capturing public attention, most tag lines just plod along, doing little for the brands they serve. Yet, experts estimate companies spend billions of dollars- there are no official stats, either here or in the U.S.-on creating tag lines each year.Are tag lines worth all the effort and investment?... ..."Media is just so much more fragmented and complicated, so their role has had to evolve," acknowledges Leeanne Smart, managing director, Canada, for The Diamond Trading Company, which is the sales and marketing arm of De Beers. But she insists tag lines still have value: "Good tag lines serve a very useful purpose as a brief sound bite that communicates a brand position or a brand benefit."... ...As a result, many companies continue to hold tag lines in great esteem. After all, they hold so much potential-both as a mantra for employees and a public platform on which to display a corporate, brand or product ideology. A key goal is to capture the consumer's attention for an extra moment or two as they digest the message. In an ideal world, that message is so smart or catchy that it entrenches in consumers' minds or becomes an element of pop culture. (Wendy's was the first, but not the last, to ask: "Where's the beef?") Eric Swartz is the self-proclaimed TaglineGuru. Based in San Francisco, Swartz has created tag lines and branding concepts for more than 80 leading companies including Apple Computers, FedEx, Sun Microsystems and Wells Fargo. He's a strong proponent of tag lines, viewing them as a straightforward and cost-effective way to communicate or renew a brand or corporate message. Tag lines can be functional, aspirational, character driven or aligned with a category, says Swartz, adding: "There's no perfect tag line, but if it strengthens your brand, strengthens your position or fulfills your marketing objectives, then it's doing a good job for you." They also have residual benefit for marketers, says Smart: "They help us succinctly identify our mantra and at the end of the day what we are trying to communicate to consumers."... ...The key to a successful tag line is memorability. If a tag line is fun or clever or uses language in an interesting way, it has a better chance of becoming part of the overall culture. It's even okay to have something that will be parodied, as long as it's flattering (there have been countless reincarnations of the marquee "Got Milk" tag line). But even Swartz warns to proceed with caution. Launching a new tag line should be done slowly, he says, adding that companies need to complete due diligence. Expose a potential tag line to as many eyes as possible and not just other marketers or people within your company. Check out what the competitors are saying (no sense reiterating someone else's message); be as specific as possible; use language that speaks directly to the consumer; consider international meanings (Chevy Nova translates to "It doesn't go" in Spanish); linguistic possibilities (Stillwell Ford: "We Put People In Front of Cars"- ouch!); and ensure nothing derogatory is waiting in the wings ("Kansas- As Big As You Think" soon became "As Bigoted As You Think."). The trouble with most tag lines is they're often reached by consensus and result in a lot of wistful nonsense. "A tag line is supposed to be your whole mantra, reason for being and benefit boiled down to under five words," says Chris Staples (of Rethink in Vancouver). That's a tall order. What usually ends up happening is that by trying to say everything, tag lines say nothing. They become meaningless, generic and confusing. Mobil's "We want you to live," or Singer's "We make it better," mantras are prime examples of saying nothing, or saying something that any company could say.... ...In TaglineGuru's 2005 survey of the 100 Most Influential Tag Lines since 1948 (the advent of television), half were created in the 1960s and 1970s and only 20% were created after 1990. The only tag line from the 21st century was Las Vegas's 2002 tag "What happens here, stays here." (For survey details, visit taglineguru.com). Despite the poor showing of newer work, Swartz insists it's premature to dismiss the power of tag lines: "It takes time for them to grow on you." Tag lines aren't dead-they're just not as prominent a branding tool as they once were. Still, they have their allure. Most marketers would love to "Just do it," but experts agree, unless it's going to be done right-with an original, compelling, clever tag line- just don't...Fave U.S. tags since 1948
SOURCE: TAG LINE AND JINGLE SURVEY, 2005, TAGLINEGURU.COM. MICHELLE WARREN, is a freelance writer in Toronto. (c) Rogers Media Inc. All rights reserved. |