Get Over the Tagline; Get On with Branding.

Taglines can be great communicators. But, is a phrase—or in the case of many schools, three words—enough to engage audiences in ways that benefit your institution?

For some taglines, the answer could be “yes.” You can, undoubtedly, recite some of the most influential of all time: “Just do it,” “Tastes great. Less filling.” and “I’m lovin’ it.” Taglines work when a brand’s differentiation is derived from an attribute or unique benefit. But distilling your school’s value into a distinctive, concise and widely marketable phrase can be a monumental, unnecessary – and sometimes impossible – task. Because even the most clever taglines can’t inform every consumer’s connection to an organization. And, regardless of a tagline’s brilliance, it can’t possibly be expected to keep audiences engaged indefinitely.

Did you know that of the 100 most influential taglines since 1948, two-thirds ran before 1980?

Brands today are distinguished less by products and features and more by value and personality.

Brand juggernauts like Lululemon and Starbucks have realized that taglines limit appeal, hamper innovation and confine their position in the market – so they don’t have a singular slogan.

It’s understandable why so many organizational leaders seek to deploy a tagline as an anchor statement for their brands. After all, the term “brand” once referred specifically to a logo, tagline and color combination. But today, a brand has evolved into a set of consumer expectations, values, stories and relationships – and branding is the use of strategies (of every kind) to intentionally influence choice of one product or service over another.

A tagline, if you’re fortunate enough to “own” one, must be part of a comprehensive brand system that allows your messaging to grow, ensuring your school looks, sounds and feels consistent to all audiences.

Don’t enter a branding process with the intent to develop a tagline. Instead, look to motivate your audiences by articulating experiences that demonstrate your brand’s relevance to the people you hope to engage.

If a tagline does emerge, wonderful, but don’t be disappointed if the process doesn’t deliver one. Your brand can grow stronger without a tagline.

Written by Joe Cliber, Principal of Creosote Affects

Creosote Affects is a leading marketing and branding firm in education—partnering with schools across the nation.