Is the reader identifiable?
The line, or the sentence beside it, should make clear who the business is for.
Brand strategy · Tagline generator
A tagline should compress your positioning, not decorate it.
Tagline generation in Mengo produces options from the brand strategy and positioning you have already written. You choose the line that says something true about the business, then carry it through every asset.
- Generated from your brand profile
- Options to compare, not one forced answer
Chosen taglineIllustration
- Website header and heroUsed for: the first line a visitor reads
- Email signatures and templatesUsed for: the sign-off on every message
- Presentations and pitchesUsed for: the opening and closing slide
- Social and public profilesUsed for: bios and short descriptions
An example of where one tagline can appear. Simplified for illustration.
The problem
Most taglines would fit any company in the same market.
Lines built on words like quality, passion and excellence say nothing a competitor could not also say.
A useful tagline is the positioning compressed: the same claim as the brand strategy, shortened until it fits on a business card. When it starts from the strategy, the shortest line and the longest page agree with each other. When it starts from a blank page, it usually ends up as decoration.
Write the brand strategy firstClever but emptyWordplay that gets attention but does not tell the reader what the business does or who it is for.
InterchangeableA line that would still be true with a competitor's name in front of it.
Changed too oftenA new line for every campaign, so the brand never builds recognition.
How to judge the options
Four tests a tagline should pass before you use it.
Use these when comparing generated options for your own business or a client's.
Would it survive a name swap?
Put a competitor's name in front of it. If it still works, it is not specific enough.
Does it state an outcome?
Lines that describe what the customer gets are easier to believe than lines about the company.
Does it match the strategy?
The tagline should be the positioning made short, not a different claim.
How it works
From positioning to a line you will keep using.
A simple sequence for generating and choosing a tagline in Mengo.
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Start from the brand profile
The positioning, promise and key messages give the generator real claims to work with.
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Generate and compare options
Review several lines side by side and apply the four tests above.
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Choose it and apply it
Carry the chosen line into the brand manual, signatures, templates and profiles so it appears the same way everywhere.
Where it is used next
A chosen tagline belongs on every branded asset.
Once the line is settled, the rest of the module carries it.
Brand strategy & identity
More in the brand module.
Tagline generation draws on the brand strategy. Open the part of the module you need next.
Find a tagline that says something real.
Tell us about the business or the clients you market. We will show you how tagline options are generated from the brand strategy and how the chosen line carries across assets.
- Tagline options grounded in your positioning
- How to test lines before you commit to one
- A straight answer on fit for your situation
Rather write directly? Email info@mengo.si.