While people often use the terms tagline and slogan interchangeably, they are actually different marketing tools.  A lot of the confusion comes in because they are often very similar in structure, a few words that portray a consumer benefit while (hopefully) being memorable.

The difference between a marketing tagline and a slogan lies in the specific goal each one is attempting to achieve. A tagline should be reflective of the entire brand, its mission, tone and approach and also deliver a promise of what a consumer can expect from the brand. It is not reflective of a single product or service. Taglines strive to make an emotional connection with consumers to raise brand awareness and grow brand loyalty.

Slogans, on the other hand, are much more mercenary. The term slogan actually comes from the Scottish word for a battle cry.

Scottish battle slogans changed with each battle and were designed to focus their soldiers’ attention on the immediate task at hand and motivate them to fight with vigor in that particular battle. Today, marketing slogans are typically designed for a single campaign and focus on a specific aspect of the product or service that is the subject of the ads.

These differences mean that taglines are used for longer time periods with the hope of creating a lasting connection between the brand and the consumer. Slogans are fleeting, and often last only as long as a single campaign has run its course. Both slogans and taglines can be extremely effective marketing tools and understanding the different purposes of each allows you to maximize their effectiveness in the never-ending war for market share.

If you’d like to learn more about advertising taglines and slogans, or are ready to add a memorable tagline or slogan to your marketing arsenal, give Insight a call at 605-275-0011 or send us an email.

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(This is our tagline.)