Require? No. But that doesn't mean taglines aren't important levers that enhance the longevity and effectiveness of your campaigns. For most startups and scaleups, campaigns are rarely integrated. This means when marketing collateral is created, it's often distributed sporadically across different channels with no connecting thread to tie the content together. Yes, the word gets out, and yes, people may engage with it. But there's no story. No narrative that audiences can latch onto. No theme to share, and often no depth.
Taglines aren't just words – they're platforms that can traverse multiple channels, creating a compelling yet coherent narrative for customers to connect with and share. Not having a tagline costs you time and money because each time you're creating a new narrative rather than building on an existing one. Starting with a tagline gives you a foundation to build upon, and from there you can consider how that line, narrative, and direction manifests across multiple channels.
To illustrate this as an abstract diagram, it might look something like this:
The channels will be up to you, but the same principle applies. You use the tagline as a way to inform the creative you produce.
Looking for examples of this in action? In 2021, Dropbox released a new brand campaign with the tagline 'For all things worth saving', acting as a creative platform for them to showcase how individuals from all walks of life utilise Dropbox to store the files and memories that matter most to them. This platform was about the product, sure. But it felt different. It felt personal, emotive, and frankly un-SaaS-like, for all the right reasons. The campaign manifested across multiple channels, including a hero video shared on YouTube, billboards, a website takeover, and more. Through this platform, Dropbox was able to nurture a closer relationship with their community (by amplifying personal stories), reach new audiences, and re-establish what they want to stand for as a company.
So, in conclusion:
- Taglines are not just words – they're platforms that elevate the stories you tell.
- Integrated marketing campaigns supported by taglines save you money and time while enhancing brand consistency.
- Not every marketing initiative requires a tagline or platform – sometimes reactivity is the goal over longevity. But I wouldn't recommend making this the default.