Tag lines that stick: here's how to create an effective brand summation line. How long should it be? Is it the same as your brand positioning? How often do you need to refresh it?

• Author: Mathes, John
• Position: Branding

We live in a sound bite world. Thousands of messages delivered through hundreds of media bombard our daily lives. Snippets from a variety of sources such as news, marketing, family, friends and entertainment all compete for our attention. Our brains are overloaded. As a bank marketing executive, you should be concerned. Consider all those precious marketing dollars you spend trying to increase your customer base by attempting to create awareness for your brand.

Couple this noisy static with the evolving of the financial services world into a commoditized marketplace, and you might begin to wonder how you're ever going to separate your bank from the fray.

Well, you start with a well-defined brand--a brand that differentiates itself from the competition with a clear positioning that captures the culture, heritage and distinction of the institution.

But, the branding exercise doesn't end with the positioning. Once developed, that positioning should be translated across all of your customer contact points in a relevant and consistent manner. Your marketing, advertising, signage, in-branch experience, even the way your associates answer the phone and speak to customers, should all embrace the language of your brand.

While the language of your brand can be robust, there needs to be a summation line that quickly and succinctly expresses your positioning. Better known as a tag line, this expression must break through the clutter, communicate your differentiation, be memorable and be forever attached to the name of your organization. The tag line is a hardworking collection of words that should give you that "aha" moment every time you see or hear it.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Just do it

There seems to be a lot of confusion in bank marketing circles about the differences between a brand positioning and a tag line. The confusion originates from the fact that sometimes a positioning can be translated exactly word for word into the tag line. Often, with a new or revitalized brand launch, it makes strategic sense to initially adopt the new positioning word for word as the expression to really drive home the new positioning. Then over time, the tag line can evolve or change as long as the verbiage remains tree to the brand.

Here's the easiest way to remember the difference between a brand positioning and a tag line. I'll illustrate with arguably the most famous tag line on the planet, Nike's expression of Just Do It. It's a great tag line. Everyone knows...