Love the marketing lesson on this napkin holder at Torchy’s Taco’s! It reinforces the brand’s tagline “Damn Good Tacos” while making you smile.

We have branded and rebranded numerous businesses and the tagline always generates considerable discussion; everyone wants a “clever” tagline. However, a funny tagline is not appropriate for all businesses. Torchy’s uses humor as primary characteristic of its brand; the menu and graphics are all humorous (e.g. Trailer Trash Tacos), so a funny tagline is perfect. However a business offering professional services or upscale product needs a tagline reflecting its positioning.

Effective taglines fall into two categories I’ll call Explanatory and Coke:

  • Explanatory taglines tell the market what you sell or do or define the brand’s key characteristics, e.g. Torchy’s “Damn Good Tacos”, Boulette Golden & Marin L.L.P.s “Experience. Judgment. Pragmatism.” or MMS’s own “Strategic Marketing, Brand Management & Public Relations”.  Explanatory taglines are essential to convey your brand’s ID in a quick glance.
  • Coke taglines, such as Coke’s “The Real Thing” or Mercedes’ “The Best or Nothing” are reserved for those brands which need no explanation. Established global brands which have spent millions of dollars educating the market as to what they sell can use more esoteric taglines aimed at tapping into consumers’ values.

Taglines are a great marketing tool and every brand should have an effective one. Let us know if we can help you develop one for your brand!