A tag line is NOT…
Although it might sound counterintuitive, a tag line’s main job is not to describe your product or service, it’s to help you be remembered. Because if people don’t remember you, you have very little chance of them remembering to buy your products or services. And that kills business.
The fine line…
There is a fine line we have to walk when doing that, of course… since the most memorable phrases have a strong tie-in to what that business stands for… but the tie-in to your USP isn’t always as ‘do or die’ as you might think. The tie-in might just be the tag line’s ability to paint a picture in your prospect’s mind, and nothing else.
Take Bernie Sander’s “Feel the Bern” tag line, for example.
Does he sell hot sauce? No. Does it describe his free collage platform? Not.
On face value it doesn’t describe anything.
All it does is combine his name with the picture of something powerful. It abstracts Bernie with burn, and this gets us thinking about what that really means, which makes it memorable.
Abstract is good… but stories are better…
Now, abstractions are one thing. ‘Yes’, they’re engaging. But stories are ‘the real deal’. A good story is nearly impossible for us to forget. And that’s why the true test of a good tag line, in my opinion, is if it can launch our minds into full-cinematic mode.
“Time to make the donuts” is a perfect example. Fred the donut maker isn’t describing how freshly made his donuts are, he’s living it… and we’re happy to go along for the ride. Add a sugary dash of humor along the way, and we can’t help remember Fred every time we drive past Dunkin Donuts. It’s like SEO for the brain!
The tag line test…
This example helps us create a test for good tag lines – can they tell a story. i.e. Can you think of a famous movie and quickly and easily add your tag line to the dialogue?
I mean, I could easily see Brad Pit in the movie, Achilles, as he’s just about to take the beach outside the city of Troy… I could see him shouting Nike’s tag line to his men… “Just do it!”
I could imagine Humphrey Bogart in Casa Blanca, with a glass in hand, talking about Prudential Insurance. “Get a piece of the Rock, kid’”
I could see Johnny Depp in Blow telling his friends “Coke is it!”
Yes, some plot lines ‘sell it’ better than others, but the point is: Once we hear a good story it’s almost impossible to forget. (And the fact that I was joking in the last example doesn’t make it any less memorable. You could even say that the tag line, “Where’s the beef”, was successful because of the humor they used).
How to find good stories…
So how do we come up with stories with a strong tie-in to our products’ USP?
That, my friend, is where we need to focus on the ‘moral of the story’.
You see, being “memorable” is good… but giving someone something memorable that connects with their dominant resident emotion is much, much better. By “resident” I mean emotions that they already have, that already exist.
For example, on a hot day we don’t have to convince people they’re thirsty.
When someone’s in the mood for a snack, their ears naturally perk up when they hear the tag line, “Got Milk?”
When someone has a feeling, by their own volition, it’s only natural that they remember a relevant story and connect that brand to the fulfillment of those resident desires.
Again, it’s like SEO for the brain…
So you see, the main job of a tag line isn’t to describe your products and services, it’s to show people the best place to satisfy their resident desires. Or even remind them of those desires!
Because, just like Google, once they’ve combined your story with their story, their actual experience with your products and services, your tag line will always rise to the top, reminding them of the satisfaction they had. This makes them think of how well your business fulfilled those desires… and, finally, helps them draw the jelly-filled conclusion that, “It’s time to eat a donut!”
So… if you could really go for some milk and donuts right now… if your mind is already halfway out the door… then we’ve just proven one important thing. The purpose of your tag line isn’t to describe. It’s only job is to remind people of their desires, and make them want to take action – right now!
Because getting your audience to take action, so you can provide the quality products or services that will keep them coming back, again and again – is what good copywriting, and business building, is all about.