a tagline is a tiny piece of copy that has to do disproportionate work. it tells you what to expect, what to feel, and often, who it's for.
what a tagline can do
a single tagline doesn't do all four. pick the one or two that matter most for the moment:
- describe: explain what the product is
- position: define what the product is in contrast to alternatives
- promise: signal an outcome
- provoke: get attention by saying something unexpected
the rules
- short. 3-8 words for most. up to 12 if the rhythm demands it.
- specific. "make work better" could fit anything. "the spreadsheet for product teams" couldn't.
- own a word or a shape. the tagline that's memorable is usually the one that's structurally distinct from competitors.
- read it aloud. if your tongue trips, rewrite.
- can a stranger guess what you do from this alone? if no, the tagline isn't carrying weight.
structural patterns that often work
- the new noun for the new shape: "the [familiar thing] for [new context]"
- the principle: "[unexpected verb] without [common cost]"
- the contrast: "[what you are]. without [what competitors are]"
- the consequence: "now you can [previously impossible thing]"
- the invitation: "[verb] like [archetype]"
avoid:
- "your one-stop shop for X"
- "the future of X"
- "X, simplified"
- "X, made easy"
- "X, reimagined"
- "X for the modern Y"
these patterns are bypass routes that say nothing.
the generation pass
write 15-25 options across the four jobs (describe / position / promise / provoke). don't filter early. for each:
- read it aloud
- imagine seeing it on a billboard for 2 seconds
- imagine a stranger asking "what does this company do?"
- if the tagline answers nothing or sounds like 10 other companies, cut it
narrow to 5-7 strong candidates. for each strong candidate, write a one-line rationale.
output
[brand]
context for the tagline
what the product is
who it's for
what feeling we want
what to position against
candidates (15-25 across the four jobs)
top 5
1. [tagline] — [job it's doing, why it works]
2. ...
recommendation
[tagline] — [extended rationale, including any concerns]
what to avoid
- adding adjectives to make a weak tagline sound stronger ("incredibly powerful" doesn't help)
- writing for the founders' ear instead of the audience's
- internal references the public can't decode
- punctuation gymnastics (em dashes, ellipses, colons) used to disguise length
- claims you can't substantiate