Why are straplines important

Your strapline needs to be unique and authentic - a generator does not know the DNA of your business, thus will never provide you with a strapline that reflects your company. Straplines should hold their value for many years, but sometimes they may need to be changed. Here's some reasons when you should look at changing your strapline, don't change your strapline for the sake of it.

Your company direction has changed. Perhaps your core values are now different from what they were at the start. Your company has entered new markets - Phrases and words don't always translate well and may not make sense in different countries.

You will want to adapt your strapline, making tweaks, or even creating a new one for new markets. New audiences. If you're targeting a new audience the strapline needs to appeal to your new audience.

Your strapline is similar to others and isn't unique to your brand. To summarise, your strapline helps your brand's authentic identity and encourages consumers to engage with your brand.

Many brands are easily recognised by their straplines, here are 10 straplines. Can you guess what the brand behind the strapline is? Vorsprung durch technik. And now this strapline plays a key role in brand messaging and customer communications. This shows how a brand strapline can evolve over time, yet stay fresh and engaging. Perhaps most importantly, your brand strapline helps to differentiate your business — and it makes it harder for competitors to copy.

Getting started on your brand strapline If you want to create a brand strapline that lasts, start by getting clear on the three key areas below, before you start brainstorming ideas. Here are some tips to get started: 1. Understand your target clients Be aware of what your target audience wants, needs and desires.

Because, in a nutshell, your brand strapline needs to make sense to the people you serve. In the long run, alienation reduces sales. In the short term, it creates confusion. Remember, your aim is to build your brand. Track your competitors Keep asking questions about your competitors. What do they say about themselves?

What do they say to customers? Do they appeal to the emotions? Or are they more practical? What makes your business different from theirs? Love your brand Your choice of brand strapline is a strategic decision. Descriptive strapline A descriptive brand strapline describes what your business does — which makes it easy for customers to understand your service, product or brand promise.

These descriptive straplines are particularly useful if your business has an abstract or evocative brand name because they describe — and help — customers to understand which sector your business is in. Descriptive straplines are also useful if the brand is the name of the business owner.

This is the case with many coaching, interior design, fashion and professional services businesses. Read more: 7 useful tips on choosing a business name Here are a couple of examples: Castle Acre is a facilities management business aimed at residential homeowners, lettings agents and property developers. Call to action Brand straplines or taglines with a call to action are often emotionally engaging, because they create a sense of involvement and inclusion.

This means they can feel personal, dynamic and motivating. A call to action helps customers imagine the pleasure of using the brand or the satisfaction that comes afterwards. Like descriptive straplines, this type of brand strapline also works very well for small businesses.

Thought-provoking Use a thought-provoking brand strapline or tagline when you want your customers to rethink their opinions of your brand. As a business owner, your strapline can be as important as your business name to your branding and marketing. Alongside your logo, typography font and colours, your strapline defines your business in your customers eyes.

Download our ebook with tips on branding and marketing you can use immediately. These are some of the most famous straplines. If not these, there will be others you remember - which shows how effective they are.

They sit alongside the brand often presented below the brand name and help the company present itself to potential customers and start to pitch and 'tell their story' to customers.

It defines your business uniquely and helps set you apart from competitors.