Branding > Straplines
Straplines
What is a strapline?
Also known as a tagline or slogan in the US, this line accompanies the logo and, for so few words, carries a lot of responsibility: it usually communicates the brand offer - what’s distinctive about a brand and why that should appeal to the target audience (its differentiation).
Why is a strapline important?
-
Branding - a name can only only convey so much. Straplines allow additional brand messaging. Usually that means differentiation.
-
Positioning - a strapline can be changed to match society’s current tastes, or provide a change in direction for a brand. Coca-Cola regularly update their strapline to fine tune their offer.
-
Ownership - Longevity - not changing your strapline - is a mark of a single-minded brand determined to maintain ownership of positioning territory. BMW’s strapline has been ‘The ultimate driving machine’ since the 70s. It claims excellence performance and engineering (a claim plus evidence).
-
Advertising direction - your strapline can provide direction for your advertising and it is usually the advertising agency that creates the strapline.
Considerations for straplines
-
Limited words - anything over four to five words is usually too long, but a longer line allows for a more complex thought and emotion.
-
Understanding the market - your strapline has to resonate with present society’s tastes. This requires a finger-on-the-pulse knowledge of your target audience and what will make them act or feel.
-
Longevity - the longer a strapline lasts, the more it comes to define and establish a brand. Brands like De Beers (‘A Diamond is Forever’) or Nike (‘Just do it’) have managed to create a long-lasting strapline that defines their brand.
Latest features
Benefits of the Barnaby Benson approach to straplines
-
Sensitivity to the brand - because we work with brand consultancies at every stage of the brand development process, we write straplines that sound right for the brand as well as communicating its essence.
-
Strong, clear messaging - we have a thorough message development process, applying the same level of discipline and questioning to our straplines that go into an advertising campaign.
-
Brand agency background - we've worked for world leading brand agencies, so we understand language's contribution to brand positioning. This might be a rejuvenated tone of voice, a brilliant idea for an advertising campaign, or that killer strapline.
Get in touch
“We worked with Barnaby on a new standard for the housing sector. He quickly tuned into our thinking and provided strong, usable positioning copy that significantly improved our brand solution.”
Simon Goodall
Client Director
OPX
