| June
5, 2008
Slogans & Taglines
Interview with
Steve Cone author of
Powerlines |
Mike
Carruthers:
"A diamond is forever", "You're
in good hands with Allstate" - these are examples of slogans or taglines
that have been around for a long time.
Steve
Cone:
Today very few break through and it's because there is lack
of attention to the importance of a few words to sell a brand. Steve
Cone, author of the book
Powerlines, says the argument today that slogans don't stick with people because
there's too much media clutter isn't true. A
couple of quick examples: the city of Las Vegas which had no tagline anyone knew
until about four years ago when they hired a local writer that came up with a
tagline that every American over the age of twelve knows. Actually, what people
say the line is, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" the actual line
is "Las Vegas - what happens here stays here." And
great taglines, says Steve, don't get old. "A
diamond is forever" was written by a twenty-eight year old female copywriter
in 1948 and guess what?, that line will never change. BMW latched upon "The
ultimate driving machine" thirty-eight years ago. Creating
a good tagline or slogan is not a science it's an art, however… You've
got to create something that has an edge to it, that has a personality, that has
an attitude. Make sure your line can answer the question, "What will your
product or service specifically do for me?" Federal Express -"When it
absolutely, positively has to be there overnight"; Raid -"Kill bugs
dead"; Roto-Rooter -"Away goes troubles down the drain, Roto-Rooter."
At somethingyoushouldknow.net
I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.
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