Source: http://PureTungsten.com
Tag lines can make or break a company. Nikes Just Do It is arguably as famous as the company itself. For years, Coca Cola ads extolled Coke Is It and later Coke Adds Life. I can still recall (okay Im not that old, I just have a really good memory) that Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should and that Id walk a mile for a Camel. Numerous spins off have resulted from the Got Milk? campaign to the point where it has become part of pop culture. Apple implores the world to Think Different, Avis promises to Try Harder, and M&Ms will always Melt in your mouth, not in your hands.
Many, if not all, of these tag lines serve as positioningstatements. They tell why the company is different or better than all the rest.If you want something that Tastes great, less filling then you know to reachfor a Miller Lite. The old Timex ads let us know that their watch Takes alicking, and keeps on ticking. In this case the positioning revolved aroundreliability and durability.
So why then, (and heres where I give out my #1 tag line petpeeve) do we still have tag lines that apologize for a companys main product or service? I sometimes call them non-statement statements, and here are just a few pastand present
Were more than great coats
We more than just staffing
Were more than a bus company
Were more than just computer sales
More than a bank Arkansas Valley State Bank
You probably get the general idea. This type of tag linedouble speak is usually indicative of a deeper problem, the company brand nameitself. In the case of Burlington Coat Factory, they had grown to a point inthe late 90s where coat sales only accounted for 20% of their total revenue.Rather than rebrand, they launched a
1. It takes an apologetic stance for the companys main product line.
Whats wrong with being a bus company, or a bank, or astaffing company? And if there is something inherently wrong, then perhaps itstime to re-examine the company name. If the name is too confining, too narrow,why spend $48 million to try to overcome a self made obstacle? Its often lessexpensive and more effective to rebrand than to carpet bomb the media in anattempt to overwrite the literal meaning of a company name.
2. It doesnt explain who you are, what you are or what youdo.
As if apologizing for the companys core product wasnt bad enough, these type of ambivalent mottos leave the potential customer evenless informed. If youre More than a bus company, than what exactly are you?A truck company? An airline? A travel agency? Who knows!
These More than tag lines probably began with theintention of creating curiosity in the minds of consumers, as if they willimmediately demand Then tell me more! Tell me what you really do! But in thebusy reality of daily life, few will bother to inquire further. It just takestoo much effort. And if the company cant succinctly convey what they do, whyshould the consumer have to figure it out?
If you want to differentiate your company and its products, then create tag lines that are informative and compelling ones that will furtherposition you in the eyes of your potential customer. If its going to work, itneeds to be more than a tag line.
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