The clinic answer
A tagline can clarify an unfamiliar name, express a useful position or make the brand easier to remember. It can also become a tiny attic where five departments store their favourite words.
Decide the job first. Then judge every line on whether it does that job quickly and distinctively.
Three useful tests
- Does it add meaning the name does not provide?
- Could a close competitor use it unchanged?
- Will anybody remember or repeat it without seeing the logo?
The prescription
Do this next.
- Write the single job above the shortlist.
- Reject lines that merely sound positive.
- Test comprehension and recall with people outside the business.