Effective Straplines

Mike Spicer, group MD of EHS Brann, discusses effective straplines and how they can be used to cement a brand in consumers’ vocabularies.

The issue of straplines, whether to have one or not or change a long standing one, is hotly discussed. They can be incredibly powerful tools in cementing a brand in the lives and vocabulary of consumers. There are many examples of effective straplines that have achieved just this – ‘The world’s favourite airline’, ‘Try something new today’. So what makes some effective where others fail and how does changing or introducing a strapline affect a brand?

The basic rule of making a strapline effective is that a brand must live up to the values that it communicates. Unless we as consumers feel that the strapline encapsulates the brand or an element of it, then the honesty and relevance of the phrase is lost, along with the connection that the consumer feels and so it becomes meaningless as a marketing tool. Tesco’s ‘Every Little Helps’ continues to strike a chord with customers as the brand continually pursues this mentality on a daily basis. They consistently offer better deals and small incentives to shop with them and it is delivering on this phrase that sets them apart from their competitors.

Equally there are examples of bad straplines that communicate very little or, worse, the wrong message to the consumer. Some would argue that conveying no message through a strapline is actually potentially less damaging than one which says the wrong thing or one which no longer works for a brand. It is so important to recognise when a strapline is not working for a brand anymore and if it should be withdrawn or amended to prevent further damage to a brand. There is no room for sentimentality if consumers no longer see the relevance of a strapline.

Some straplines are changing as consumers are looking for brands to be more personal and so marketing has to focus much more on experience. As customers become savvier, we are seeing a number of established and easily recognisable straplines changing to accommodate this new way of thinking. Take for example Mr. Kipling who used to offer ‘Exceedingly good cakes’ but this has been changed to ‘Exceedingly happy cakes’. This may be a seemingly innocuous change but the new phrase involves the customer more, introducing emotion and so linking brand with experience, which is far more relevant to the modern marketplace. Importantly, the change does not remove the relevance or the easily memorable aspect of this strapline, so retaining the effectiveness of the phrase. After all, the success of a strapline is dependent on consumers remembering it.

Whatever brand it refers to, whether well established or not, there is much debate over the value of straplines. But we cannot ignore those that prove the worth of getting them right. We don’t hear of Nike moving away from ‘Just do it’ because the brand continues to deliver the essence of the phrase. We feel that this is a no-nonsense brand that keeps sport and athletes at its heart. Yes, there are still those that get it wrong – how many of us are ‘lovin’ it’ at McDonalds? – but these don’t take away from the brands that are getting it right. And that is because they convey a brand truth that means their customers remember them for the right reasons.