The Importance of Taglines
by Jessica High

GettingAttention.org did a survey last year of nonprofits and found that “72 percent of nonprofits don’t have a tagline or rate their tagline as performing poorly.”

Taglines are important because they give a quick picture of your organization. Instead of having to read your mission and vision statements, taglines provide a quick summary and easy marketing tool. The “less is more” approach holds true still.

It can be a difficult task to come up with a tagline that is short but powerful. Nancy Schwartz, a blogger for GettingAttention.org, gives insight by saying “Message development in general is challenging, especially when its attempted in house, by folks who are usually too close to the programs to be effective at it.” You need to take a step back from your organization. It’s hard to see the big picture often when you are used to be involved in the fine inner workings.

Once you have that bigger perspective, the next step is to consolidate that message.  A good tagline should be no more than eight words. Taglines are effective when they are simple but useful action words. GettingAttention.org selected CASA of Southwest Missouri and American Lung Association’s taglines as some of the best taglines. CASA’s tagline is “Stand Up for a Child” and American Lung Association’s tagline is “Improving Life, One Breath at a Time.”

Taglines help create interest. They are not just an eight word summary, but they spark curiosity, they make people ask questions. For instance, when I look at the American Lung Association’s tagline, I am immediately curious about how they “improve life” but also drawn in by the idea of “one breath at a time.”

For more information visit www.GettingAttention.org They will be hosting the 2009 tagline competition as well. All entrants will receive a copy of the report that covers best tagline practices.

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