search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube instagram Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • TOPICS
    • Cool Roofing
    • Event News
    • Latinos in Roofing
    • Low Slope
    • Legal
    • Metal
    • Project Profiles
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Roofing Safety
    • Steep Slope
    • Sustainable Roofing
    • Technology
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best of Success
    • Contractor Profile
    • IRE Show
    • Roofing Contractor of the Year
    • Top 100
    • Young Guns
    • State of the Industry
    • Century Club
  • MULTIMEDIA
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Roofing Quizzes
    • IRE Videos
    • Webinars
    • Photo Galleries
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Featured Products
  • COLUMNS
    • Editor's Note
    • Exit Planning
    • Legally Speaking
    • Safety Advice
    • Technical Details
    • Guest Column
  • EVENTS
    • International Roofing Expo
    • Webinars
    • Best of Success Conference
    • Industry Events
  • DIRECTORY
    • Associations
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturer/Supplier
    • Business Services
    • Get Listed
  • MORE
    • Roofing Contractor eNews
    • Techos y Más Advisory Board
    • RC Store
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Company Spotlights
    • Classifieds
      • Auctions
      • Business For Sale
      • Business Opportunities
      • Equipment For Sale
      • Positions Available
      • Products
      • Safety
      • Software
      • Services
      • Training
    • Contact Us
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Editorial Calendar
      • Contact
    • Archive Issues
  • SIGN UP!

The Power of Great Taglines

By Al Levi
December 12, 2010
Some taglines are successful enough to warrant inclusion in popular culture.



Wikipedia defines a tagline as a variant of a branding slogan used in marketing and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product (like a film), or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product. Some taglines are successful enough to warrant inclusion in popular culture.

What I teach my clients is a great tagline should:
 
    1. Be 3 to 5 words at most.  The shorter the better! To be memorable it’s got to be short. I was taught by Marketing Mentor, Leo, that a great tagline is like a great billboard…5 words or less.  

    2. Mean something to the customer first.  A great tagline tells the customer what you stand for and what is your unique promise or your unique selling proposition so they can know what they can hope to experience from working with you.  

    3. Tell the staff what we promise and seek to deliver.  A great tagline teaches the unique promise or unique selling proposition we are dedicated to making a reality. It’s a higher calling for all those on your staff. The reason “Why we do what we do.”
 
Rule #1: Keep it clean.  
Rule #2: Keep it non-religious and non-political.  
Rule #3: It’s okay to tie it to the name if it’s not too corny.

Examples of Really Great Taglines

Examples of really great taglines from customers I’ve worked with that are all trademarked:
    1. Gold Medal’s “Award Winning Service”
    2. Golden Rule’s “We obey the rules to live by.”
    3. Forever Dry Roofing’s “Here today. Dry forever.”
    4. Precision Plumbing’s “Is today soon enough?”
    5. SECCO Home Services “Expert at your door”
 
Examples outside our industry:  
    1. Target: “Expect More. Pay Less.”
    2. Walmart’s “Save Money. Live Better.”
    3. Home Depot “More Savings. More Doing.”
    4. WebMD’s “Better Information. Better Health.”
 
To make a great tagline, it helps to have a great name. But even if you don’t have a great company name, you can rescue it with a great tagline. To do that you must be crystal clear about what is it you uniquely do.

A great way to gain clarity on what you do that creates distinction in the customer’s mind is to practice saying what is unique about you. To do that even better, imagine you’re in an elevator [a.k.a the “Elevator Speech”] and someone turns to you and sees your shirt or cap and says, “ABC Company…why should I use you guys?”  

What would you tell that person in the time it takes the elevator to reach their floor that would imprint in their heads why you’re the right choice for their home or business?  

A good way to create an elevator speech which will lead you back to creating a great tagline is to create a bulleted list of all the great things you think you do. Then, whittle it away by comparing yourself to your competition. The final list gets boiled down to your Top 3 reasons why they should call you. Then, lead with your best.  

At my company, it went like this: “It doesn’t matter who we send to your home. We have detailed manuals so we can all do the work pretty much the same and avoid the mistakes others make. Also, we’re not coming to your home to learn our job like other companies who refuse to train. We’ve already been trained and certified in our own state of the art training center! Care to come visit?”  

Boil your elevator speech down to a great a three- to five-word tagline and you’re marketing has clarity.  

One last thing, role-play your tagline and elevator speech to death until everyone at your company knows it and is living it and watch the dollars flow to you.

Links

  • Give Me 60 Minutes And I'll Show You The Secrets To Running A Profitable Service Business ... Even During A Recession!
  • Step by Step Program

Share This Story

Al Levi has been helping plumbing, HVAC, roofing, remodeling, electrical and carpentry businesses solve problems, turn greater profits, and help owners get their lives and free time back for over 7 years. This is all based on his 25-year career at his family-owned and operated contracting business. For more information, visit www.60minuterecessionsolution.com.
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Blog Topics

Damato of the Day

Guest Blog

Recent Comments

Foundation Bolts Manufacturer and Supplier

Scratch Games

CDSCO Certification

Justin Bieber’s purple hoodie is an iconic piece...

It's fascinating to see how virtual trade shows...

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Sign Up for the eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Roofing Contractor audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Roofing Contractor or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • TAMKO Titan XL Shingles
    Sponsored byTAMKO®

    Built for Business: How Titan XT® Shingles Keep Proving Their Value

  • An overhead view of a residential block
    Sponsored byCBIZ CompuData

    From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How Roofing Companies Can Transform Financial Operations

  • Snow Guard Solutions for Metal Roofs by S-5!
    Sponsored byS-5!

    Safeguard Your Building: How Snow Guards Prevent Costly Roof & Property Damage

Popular Stories

The Home Depot is weighing a bid for GMS. The potential offer would pit the retail giant against QXO Inc.

UPDATE: Home Depot Pushes QXO Out of GMS Pursuit

Florida has become the focal point for construction-site raids, attracting national attention and altering labor dynamics throughout the industry.

Florida Emerges as the Epicenter of ICE Raids

Brad Jacobs, chairman and CEO of QXO, offers $5 billion to acquire GMS, a major distributor of gypsum and interior building products.

QXO Sets Its Sights on GMS in $5 Billion Offer

Roofing Contractor Webinar

Events

December 3, 2025

The Premier Roofing Conference: Best of Success

Join roofing professionals from across the nation at the 2025 Best of Success conference, the ultimate destination for roofing professionals seeking the latest industry insights and networking opportunities. Pick up strategies for critical challenges like workforce shortage with innovative solutions, explore the latest advancements in roofing technology and sustainable practices, and gain valuable insights from industry leaders on navigating the evolving roofing landscape.

View All Submit An Event
×

Be in the forefront of the roofing industry!

Join thousands of professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing