Every brain works in its
own, unique way - so there is no reason to assume that my
method for writing taglines will be the one that gets your
wheels turning and your creative juices flowing.
However, for those who appreciate
a little creative direction, I'm going to give you a play-by-play
of how I, a seasoned copywriter with a background in creating
corporate advertising materials, go about dreaming up brand
images for my clients.
Step
1: Do your research homework. If you're writing a tagline
for someone else's company, then go visit their website if
they have one. Check out the company brochure, and really
get to know what they're about. If this is a rebranding assignment
(they want a NEW tagline to match their NEW brand image),
you'll want to find out what they didn't care for about their
old marketing, what goals they fell short of and why, and
what ideal they're moving toward.
Step
2: Look at the big picture. If this tagline is being
developed as part of a larger branding campaign, then you
may want to first write the company philosophy, values, mission
statement and USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Sometimes
it helps to think in broad terms before narrowing it down
to fine details.
Step
3: Wordstorm. Once you feel you've got a good handle
on what the company is about, have yourself a wordstorm. Just
clear your mind, open up a blank document or get yourself
a fresh sheet of white paper, and do a brain dump. Write down
any and all words that relate to whatever it is this company
provides to their customers. Don't hold back; even if you
think an idea sounds corny, stupid, or even if someone else
has already used it - jot it down anyway. You never know what
thoughts might springboard other thoughts, and lead you to
the one line that sums it all up in seconds.
Step
4: Get lyrical. Remember that a tagline is a sentiment,
not a description. Yours should convey an idea, or ideal -
so start forming one-liners that sound catchy, yet also reflect
the company values and mission. Often, it helps to say the
company name aloud, followed by the tag, to see how it flows
together. Craft your list, writing down even the not-so-good
ones. You can weed these out later.
Step
5: Start the process of elimination. Run down your
list, crossing off all the repeat offenders, the "lame
ideas," and the taglines that actually belong to other
companies. (You should do a Google search on your lines in
quotes, to be sure.)
Step
6: Proofread your final list, and submit for review.
Congratulations! You've just
created your first copywriter's brainstorm of taglines.
