I was researching for a UCLA Extension Marketing Master Class I’m giving in Istanbul in October on Global Branding and International Expansion and came across a subject I thought would be of interest to Personal Brand Blog readers: the brand tagline.
For the class, I’ll be looking at taglines for cities, counties, and countries. But it got me thinking about taglines for personal branding.
The “Lost Art” of the tagline
A tagline is one of the most cost effective ways to express the value of a brand. The advertisers of the past knew the art of the tagline and spent time, money, and research in developing a short and easy way to communicate a brand message. Here’s a few taglines, many of which have endured, some fallen by the wayside:
- You’re in good hands with Allstate. Allstate Insurance
- Reach out and touch someone. AT&T
- Cotton. The fabric of our lives. Cotton Incorporated
- Quality is job one. Ford
- Fair and balanced. Fox News
- They’re g-r-r-r-eat! Kellog’s Frosted Flakes
- Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. M&Ms
- M’m, m’m, m’m, m’m, m’m…toasty! Quiznos
- Eat fresh. Subway
- Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Timex
- Only you can prevent forest fires. U.S. Forest Service
- Can you hear me now?…Good! Verizon Wireless
- Where’s the beef? Wendy’s
Twitter profile as your tagline
Your profile statement on Twitter is a perfect opportunity to extend your brand value. As you build followers, you have an audience that you are communicating with.
One of the values of social media is “find and be found”. I encourage you to be fairly straightforward with your profile statement and describe either you personally or what you do. Don’t squander this valuable opportunity with cryptic or “too-cute” message.
A successful tagline should amplify your marketing message:
- Who you are
- What makes you special
- Why the world should care
Author:
Beverly Macy is the Managing Partner of Y&M Partners and teaches a social media class at the UCLA Extension. She also co-hosts Gravity Summit events and provides personal branding coaching.
