What is a Tagline for a Logo? Understanding its Power in Branding

Logos are essential for any business. Why? It’s because they help build brand recognition. And they provide consumers with something to recognize and remember brands by other than their products or services. 

By slapping a logo on product labels, websites or other materials, you ensure that people can recognize your business anywhere. But it is the tagline that can be the kicker that helps leave a lasting impression on customers. 

So what exactly is a tagline? And when should you (or shouldn’t you) use one? 

Below, we explore everything there is to know about taglines and how to use them the right way! 

What Is A Tagline? 

Taglines are short phrases or slogans that are typically placed on a logo. Sometimes a tagline rhymes. It can be funny. Or it can simply provide an extra description of your business or its products. 

No matter which route your business takes, your logo tagline reinforces your brand’s image. Taglines can highlight USPs. They can share a message. Or they even just make people laugh, leaving them with a warm or thought provoking logo experience. 

Either way, a tagline is a powerful tool that helps your brand get recognized. 

Well-crafted taglines add to a logo. However, a bad tagline… Well, let’s just hope you don’t create a bad tagline. 

Should You Use A Tagline? 

It really depends. There are no hard or fast rules about using taglines. Some brands use them. Some brands think they are cheesy and leave them off their logos. So it’s really up to you and how you plan to connect your business to its customers. 

But to help you decide, let us now take a look at the pros and cons of a tagline. 

The Benefits Of A Tagline 

• Adding context – Taglines can add context and make it easier to know what your brand and logo are about. 
• Emotional connections – Taglines can help people relate to your brand and the products or services you provide. 
• Memorability – Probably the biggest benefit to using a tagline is that it can help make your branding that much more recognizable. 

Pro TIp 

Good taglines are simple. Which makes it more likely people will remember them. So do your best to craft simple and understandable taglines without making them too long. 

The Disadvantages Of A Tagline 

• International concerns – If your business operates in different countries it can create an issue of people not being able to understand your tagline or you’ll need to create different logo variations for whatever country you’re operating in. 
• Evolving businesses – If your business changes, your tagline may no longer be relevant. This isn’t always true. But it is one reason that you may not want to include a tagline in your business logo. 
• Messy designs – Too many elements can make logos look messy. This is particularly true when a tagline is long. Or if the font is too small. People like clean and simple logos. So you may not want to clutter up your design with a long winded tagline 

Pro Tip 

A good tagline should always complement the rest of your logo design. It should also not take away from the rest of the design. Your logo icon, business name and brand colours need to be just as, if not more, visually relevant than your tagline.  

The World’s Most Memorable Taglines

Let’s take a look at three incredibly popular taglines that we’re sure almost everyone on Earth would recognize. 

• Nike’s “Just do it” – This is a great tagline because it perfectly captures both the brand and the people who wear Nike products. 
• Apple’s “Think differently” – This tagline is just absolutely perfect for a brand that prides itself on tech innovation. Again, it’s all about describing the business AND the people who buy Apple products. 
• McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” – Another simple tagline that just describes what the brand wants people to think and feel when they eat their food. 

Pro Tip 

Memorable taglines are often short. Funny taglines are good too. But keep it simple. That is the best way to connect with customers. 

Creating Memorable Taglines For Any Business

• Brand identity – The ultimate goal in using a tagline is to help people understand your business. So start by looking at your brand’s core values and identity to come up with tagline ideas that suit it well. 
• Your audience – Aside from your brand, you can also look at your target audience’s goals, pain points and what motivates them. This helps you create taglines that speak directly to their wants and desires. 
• Keep it short – The shorter your tagline is… The more memorable it will be. 
• Emotions – Taglines should convey positive feelings to your target audience. This helps build stronger connections with people and puts your business front and center in their minds in the future. 

Pro Tip 

Try writing a list of potential taglines before settling on one. Then ask people for their opinions to help you narrow it down to the best one. Experiment with different tagline variations to see how they look on your logo.

GraphicSprings Makes It Easy To Create Logos With TagLines

Here at GraphicSprings, we offer a three-pronged approach to designing logos. 

1. Browse Logo Design Ideas – We have hundreds of design ideas pages that we encourage you to browse. You’ll find different logo types, design styles and variations that can help you land on the best combination for your brand’s next logo. 
2. Custom Design Services – You can also work hand in hand with our team of graphic designers. We can help you define your brand and create a high quality logo that captures the essence of your business. 
3. Logo Maker – You can also head over to our Logo Maker page and get started with your very own logo today. Describe your ideal logo, choose from a few design preferences and within seconds, our software will design a custom logo just for you! 

Ultimately, taglines can bring your logo designs up a notch. They can help make your designs more memorable. And they can often help to inform consumers about your brand, its product or your mission. 

That is why it is so important to put some serious effort into your tagline. So come up with different variations. Seek out feedback and reviews. And refined your tagline and logo before settling on a final design.