Tagline
Also called brand tagline, strapline, endline
What is a tagline?
A tagline is a short, memorable phrase that sits alongside a brand's name or logo and sums up what the brand stands for, offers or promises. Taglines are meant to last for years, appearing on the website, packaging, profiles and video end cards. In the UK the same thing is often called a strapline or endline.
Taglines and slogans are often used interchangeably. A common distinction: a tagline represents the whole brand and changes rarely, while a slogan is tied to a specific campaign or product and may change often.
Good taglines are short (often under seven words), easy to say, and specific enough that a competitor could not use them word for word.
Why a tagline matters
A tagline gives people a quick handle on what you do, especially when the name alone does not explain it. It works hard in small spaces: social bios, profile banners, lower thirds and end cards.
Repeated consistently, it becomes one of your brand assets and supports recall.
How to write a tagline
- Start from your positioning and value proposition.
- Write 30 or more options: benefit-led, descriptive, playful, imperative.
- Cut anything a competitor could say, and anything longer than about seven words.
- Read the best few aloud, next to your logo, at small sizes.
- Test the top two with a few customers before committing.
Tagline example
Crumb & Co (bakery): "Baked this morning." Spoke & Chain (bike shop): "Back on the road tomorrow." A beginner yoga studio: "Yoga for real bodies." Each is short and says something specific about the offer.
Tagline FAQ
What is the difference between a tagline and a slogan?
A tagline represents the brand as a whole and lasts for years. A slogan usually belongs to one campaign or product and changes more often.
How long should a tagline be?
Short enough to read in a glance and say in one breath, usually three to seven words.
Related terms
A slogan is a short, catchy phrase used in advertising to make a product, campaign or idea memorable, often changed between campaigns.
Brand messaging is the set of core messages a brand repeats: what it offers, for whom, why it is different and what proof backs it up.
A value proposition is a clear statement of the benefit a customer gets from a product, and why it is better for them than the alternatives.
A positioning statement is a short internal sentence naming a brand's target customer, category, key benefit and reason to believe.
A mission statement is a short description of what a company does, who it serves and why, used to guide decisions and explain its purpose.
A logo is the graphic mark, name or symbol that identifies a business. It can be a wordmark, a symbol, or both combined.