I have the same respect for a great tagline that I do for a thoughtful, conceptual logo. Like the logo, a tagline is the ultimate in distillation; it represents the essence of your positioning …  positioning arrived at through careful branding work. If it is simply descriptive of your product(s) or service(s), or so long it won’t even fit on a business card, you’re not just wasting money you’re under-cutting all that hard work you’ve done to build your brand. So when it comes to creating an effective tagline for your credit union or bank, keep it focused and precise. 

I have the same respect for a great tagline that I do for a thoughtful, conceptual logo. Like the logo, a tagline is the ultimate in distillation; it represents the essence of your positioning …  positioning arrived at through careful branding work. If it is simply descriptive of your product(s) or service(s), or so long it won’t even fit on a business card, you’re not just wasting money you’re under-cutting all that hard work you’ve done to build your brand. So when it comes to creating an effective tagline for your credit union or bank, keep it focused and precise. 

One way to get down to a strong focus is to ask questions and then question your answers. If you say you’re innovative, don’t stop there. How are you innovative? How are you more innovative than everyone else who says they’re innovative and of what value is it to your customer? Peel away the layers until you get to that differentiating nugget of gold; melt it down into a concise positioning statement and then hammer it into a tagline.

 
Here is an example of fluff, courtesy of a quick Internet search:  

Unique, comprehensive and creative strategies serving your legal and business interests. 

It glues together a lot of typical words into a line that is meant to impress. But like so many taglines it is mostly just descriptive of the services offered. Like so many taglines it is entirely forgettable. Unique how? Comprehensive?

 
A more productive approach might have been to:
 
1. Qualify “unique” and evaluate the reality of a “comprehensive” claim—what services or point(s) of difference are buried in that word?.
2. Decide the benefit of those two vague, but well-meaning words and hone it into customer facing benefit statement.
3. Turn that puppy into your tagline.
 
So if you’re in the process of creating a tagline for your bank or credit union, remember to apply the “focus not fluff” principle. Ask questions and question your answers. Because like most any of your marketing materials and components, the more focused your message is the more effective it is.
 

This is part 1 of our 3 part series on what can makes good taglines good, and weak taglines weak. Come back tomorrow for Part 2.



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