Put a Bow on Your Brand With a Great Tagline!

So, you’ve got a killer brand, complete with a killer logo that you can’t stop looking at. You may be thinking that’s all you need and it’s time to call it a day. You could. Or you could add a memorable, well-crafted tagline that will tie up your name, logo and brand promise into one complete, perfect package.

Before we get to the technical definition of taglines, here’s how we at KickCharge think of them: The sugar in your coffee. The icing on the cake. The cherry on top of the sundae. Branding’s chef’s kiss, if you will. A good tagline uniquely connects your brand’s visuals to your story and personifies the value you bring as a company. It takes your amazing brand to a whole new level, adding pizzazz, cohesiveness and, most importantly, a reason for customers to choose you.

Here at KickCharge, we’ve developed taglines for more than 350 home service businesses. So when we say we know taglines inside and out, we mean it! Whether you’re about to work with our team to craft your tagline or are just curious about what constitutes an effective tagline, we’ve got you covered! Let’s get into the nitty-gritty and talk about how this fun but often overlooked element can make all the difference for electrifying your brand.

What the Right Tagline Can Do for You

When you sign on for tagline services with KickCharge, we ask you to fill out a questionnaire where we ask things such as if you have a direction in mind, if you want a fun, clever tagline or one that is more balanced, etc. We take these answers and charge headfirst into the brainstorming stage, where we combine your answers with our brand expertise and knowledge of what makes a great tagline. And, more importantly, what would make a great tagline for your brand.

Taglines that tie back to a mascot or other element of your brand are more impactful and memorable.

So, what exactly can a tagline do for your business? Taglines are used for different purposes, depending on your brand and future goals. The right tagline can help:

Highlight what you do. If you have a name that does not immediately tie back to your industry, a tagline can do the heavy lifting for you. This is especially helpful if you have an initial-based or last name brand (which you shouldn’t in most cases, as explained in this video).
Connect your visuals to your story. Taglines that tie into your mascot or logo bring a synergy and cohesiveness to the brand. If you have an animal mascot, it would be a missed opportunity to not lean into something about said animal while also delivering a powerful brand promise. Take this example from Cool Cat Fence: “Fantastic Fencing—No Kitten.” You can see how this would appeal to customers far more than something like “Choose Cool Cat for a Great Fence.”
Personify the value you bring or highlight a key differentiator of your company. If your business is known for quick response times, longevity in the industry or 24/7 emergency service but your name does not reflect this, a tagline can fill in the blanks and provide customers a reason to choose you over your competition.
Reinforce your brand promise. What’s your “why?” If you are famous for having the friendliest techs in town, seamless service or top-of-the-line products, a tagline can convey that, positioning your brand promise front and center.

The Ins & Outs, Nuts & Bolts, Do’s & Don’ts

Purple Turtle Heat Pumps tagline that reads, "This Turtle Can Handle Any Hurdle!" — ***Taglines that rhyme are especially effective in remaining “sticky” in customers’ minds.***

While tagline approaches can vary, here are some that KickCharge definitely lists under “do’s”:

Your tagline should be short, sweet and memorable. Ideally, it would have no more than five core words, not including connectors such as “a,” “the,” “and,” etc., and be no longer than seven or eight words total. The goal is to always say more in fewer words.
Again, memorability is key. Taglines that rhyme are especially “sticky” and customers will remember them long after they’ve passed by your vehicle. Consider the difference between “This Turtle Can Handle Any Hurdle!” and “For Quality Heating & Cooling, Choose Purple Turtle.” One is sing-songy and fun and ties back to the mascot, while the other is unoriginal and dull and adds not much else other than repeating the business name.
Alliteration—the repetition of initial consonant sound in two or more adjacent or closely connected words—is another device that can make your tagline more memorable. We talk a lot about how alliterative names for home service companies are “stickier” and how they’ll remain in customers’ minds longer—well, the same is true for taglines! “Wired to Wow You!” for example, is far more notable than something like “Choose The Right Connection: Colorado’s No. 1 Electrician.”
Your tagline should reflect your brand and be ownable/trademarkable. A great test for this is to assess your tagline for originality and messaging. If you were to pluck your tagline out of your brand, could you just as easily apply it to your competitors? If the answer is yes, your tagline probably isn’t impactful enough. Keep in mind that the more original your name and logo are, the more original your tagline can be, too.

The Right Connection Electric tagline that reads, "Wired to Wow You!" — **Alliterative taglines easily roll off the tongue, and the repetition of consonants makes them far more memorable for customers.**

And, now, what we wouldn’t recommend:

Your tagline does not need to, nor should it, include a call to action. Take something like “Contact John’s Plumbing Today.” This is a statement, not a tagline. A business owner might be thinking, “But don’t we want customers to contact us? And isn’t today as good a time as any to call?” Sure, but: You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t want customers to contact you. The name of your business is already on the truck. This adds zero value to your brand, containing no promise, brand tie-in or company differentiator, and it is certainly not ownable or trademarkable.
Is your tagline basically a repeat of your company name? For example, if your business is Epic Plumbing and your tagline is “Plumbing That’s Epic!” that’s an epic problem. You haven’t really said anything that your business name didn’t already cover. Your tagline needs to add something of value to the brand, not repeat what the customer already knows.
Your tagline should not be overly complicated or tongue-twisty. Does it take forever to get to the point? Do you stumble over it when trying to say it back? Is the sentiment behind your tagline unclear or potentially unappealing to customers? Is it ungrammatical or poorly punctuated? The integrity of your tagline, and by extension your business, will be called into question if any of these apply.
A tagline should fit the brand. If you have a serious brand, employing a silly tagline will seem out of character and confuse customers. The same is true of a fun brand that uses an overly serious tagline. Customers want to know they can trust you, so an off-brand tagline can make them question if you know who you are as a business, which will definitely not instill confidence in your abilities.

So, there you have it, the peaks and pitfalls for home service taglines. We believe that with the combined power of name, logo and tagline, your brand will be truly unstoppable. In fact, we can’t wait to see where it takes you. So, don’t let one missing ingredient ruin your brand’s recipe for success!

If you’re ready to discuss what KickCharge can do for you, contact us online or call us at 908.835.9000 to connect with our team today. Also, be sure to also check out our tagline portfolio for additional inspiration and examples from our creative team!