Tagline or Slogan? What’s The Difference And What Does Yours Say About Your Company?

You can admit it -- more often than not, you’ve involuntarily found yourself humming or reciting a major brand’s slogan from the tail end of a commercial jingle. Whether you’ve joyfully sang “Ba Da Ba Ba Bah....I’m Lovin It” on the way to the kitchen from your family room, or telling somebody randomly to “Just Do It…” -- both are catchy, longstanding taglines from major corporations that the entire world will recognize in an instant. And those reasons there, define the mark of a great tagline. 


We’ve learned that our clients and just people in general often get the difference between a tagline and a slogan a tad bit confused. Understandably so, since the term and their purposes are interchangeable within the world of marketing and branding. So today we’ll prove a quick and hopefully helpful explanation of a slogan and a tagline, why yours is so important and share a handful of the most popular company slogans. 


A slogan is defined as “a catchphrase or small group of words that are combined in a special way to identify a product or company” according to Entrepreneur.com’s Small Business Encyclopedia.


A tagline is defined as “a catchphrase or slogan, especially as used in advertising, or the punchline of a joke.” 


Sounds pretty similar, no? The biggest difference in the terminology is when and how long this catchphrase is being used.



Taglines are designed to permanently stand the test of time and briefly describe a company’s mission, purpose and identity in order to quickly grab the enamored mind of the consumer and communicate their message in a catchy way. These short phrases represent a company for the long haul whereas a slogan is typically used for a campaign to promote a product, service or an event which could be used for a few weeks, months or even years. 


Let’s use Disneyland as the example. Their tagline “The Happiest Place On Earth” goes all the way back to its development in the 1980’s, but in 2006 they ran a global campaign commemorating their 50th anniversary in which the slogan was “Where Dreams Come True.” Both statements co-existed but as the campaign ended, the happiest place on Earth, was still the happiest place on Earth. 


Hopefully if you’ve been following us long enough, you would’ve noticed the HVD Studios’ tagline is “Your Business. Our Passion”. That phrase stems from our major core values and the level of customer service and care we extend to our family of clients. We aim to be an extension of their business and in turn become intricately passionate about their success during the infancy stages and beyond. 



Below are 10 of the most famous taglines/slogans of major corporations that we’re sure you all know and love:



1. Apple: “Think Different”
2. Nike: “Just Do it”
3. McDonald’s: “I’m lovin’ it”
4. Coca-Cola: “Open Happiness”
5. L’Oreal: “Because you’re worth it”
6. KFC: “It’s finger lickin’ good”
7. Dunkin’ Donuts: “America runs on Dunkin'”
8. Lay’s: “Betcha can’t eat just one.”
9. Walmart: “Save money. Live better.”
10. American Express: “Don’t live life without it.”
    



When coming up with your company’s tagline, simply ask yourself if it's memorable, direct, different, catchy, descriptive, short, sweet and to the point. Does it connect with your targeted audience and demographic? Would you find yourself wanting to change it in a few years or is it something you can proudly represent and stand for?

Do you have any further questions or need more clarity and examples of amazing taglines and slogans or need help developing yours? Get in touch with us for a strategy session. Leave a comment and let us know!