Taglines: Short, Sharp, True — Field Notes #2
Taglines: Short, Sharp, True — Field Notes #2. If your brand feels fuzzy to you, it’s fog to your audience. Let’s make it obvious and repeatable.
Personas are forecasts, not fiction. Use jobs, pains, and proof—never stereotypes.
Steps
- State the promise in plain words — Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later.
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
- List three proof points — Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust.
Why this matters: Avoid poetry; say the outcome a buyer can point to later. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: People use what they can read in two minutes. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
- Messaging blocks — Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections.
How to use it: CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof]. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: From formal to playful with examples for each channel. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: Headline • subhead • bullets • CTA mapped to page sections. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Example
A dev‑tools startup replaced clever taglines with a plain promise and saw demo requests up 34% in six weeks.
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- Logo first — Write positioning before pixels; a logo is a receipt for choices.
- Guides nobody reads — One page first. Depth later. Adoption beats length.
- Collecting adjectives — Translate adjectives into constraints (type size, palette count, tone limits).
Related Articles
- Personas That Don’t Lie
- Finding Your Brand Voice — Guide #2
- A Visual Identity You Can Scale — Guide #2
- Case Studies with a Plot — Deep Dive #2
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