Brand Tagline

---
name: brand-tagline
description: "Generates brand taglines and slogans with positioning rationale, use cases, and A/B testing variants. Use when creating or refreshing your brand's tagline or slogan."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Brand Tagline

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a brand tagline or slogan from scratch
- Refresh an existing tagline that no longer fits
- Generate multiple tagline options with rationale for each
- Develop tagline variants for different channels or campaigns

**DO NOT** use this skill for headlines, ad copy, or product descriptions. This is for the core brand tagline that defines your business identity.

---

## Core Principle

A GREAT TAGLINE IS MEMORABLE, MEANINGFUL, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO CONFUSE WITH A COMPETITOR — IT MUST SAY SOMETHING ONLY YOUR BRAND CAN SAY.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Business name** | "What is your business called?" | No default — must be provided |
| **What you do** | "Describe what your business does in one sentence." | No default — must be provided |
| **Target audience** | "Who is your ideal customer?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Key differentiator** | "What makes you different from competitors?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Brand personality** | "If your brand were a person, how would you describe them?" | Confident, approachable, expert |
| **Current tagline** | "Do you have an existing tagline?" | None |
| **Taglines you admire** | "Share 2-3 taglines from other brands you like (any industry)." | None |

**GATE: Confirm brief before generating.**

---

## Phase 2: Outline

### Tagline Categories

Generate options across these formula types:

```
1. Benefit-driven — states what the customer gets
2. Imperative — tells the customer what to do
3. Descriptive — says what the brand does
4. Provocative — challenges a belief or norm
5. Aspirational — paints the future state
6. Clever — uses wordplay or double meaning
```

**GATE: Confirm which categories to prioritize (or do all).**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### Generate 15-20 Tagline Options

For each tagline, provide:

```
**"[Tagline]"**
- Category: [Benefit / Imperative / Descriptive / etc.]
- Rationale: [Why this works — 1 sentence]
- Best used: [Website, social bios, packaging, ads]
```

### Tagline Quality Criteria

Every tagline must pass these tests:

| Test | Question |
|------|----------|
| **Memorable** | Could someone recall this after hearing it once? |
| **Meaningful** | Does it communicate a real benefit or position? |
| **Unique** | Could a competitor use this exact line? If yes, it fails. |
| **Short** | Under 8 words? (Ideal: 3-6 words) |
| **Timeless** | Will this still work in 5 years? |
| **Speakable** | Does it sound natural when said aloud? |

### Top 5 Recommendations

Present the 5 strongest options with detailed rationale:

```
## Top 5 Taglines

### 1. "[Tagline]"
**Why it works:** [2-3 sentences on positioning, memorability, and audience fit]
**Where to use it:** [Specific placements — header, social bios, email signature, ads]
**Potential risk:** [Any downside or misinterpretation to consider]

### 2. "[Tagline]"
...
```

### A/B Testing Pairs

```
## A/B Test Suggestions

**Test 1:** Benefit vs Imperative
- A: "[Benefit tagline]"
- B: "[Imperative tagline]"
- Where to test: [Website header, social ads]

**Test 2:** Short vs Descriptive
- A: "[3-word tagline]"
- B: "[6-word descriptive tagline]"
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Tagline Checklist

```
## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Under 8 words (ideally 3-6)
- [ ] Communicates a benefit or brand position
- [ ] Cannot be used by a competitor without modification
- [ ] Sounds natural when spoken aloud
- [ ] Works across platforms (website, social, print, ads)
- [ ] Does not rely on jargon or inside knowledge
- [ ] Timeless — not tied to a trend or year
- [ ] No unintended negative meanings or associations
```

### 2. Usage Guide

Provide guidance on where and how to deploy the selected tagline:

```
## Tagline Usage Guide

- **Website header:** Pair with the brand name: "[Brand Name] — [Tagline]"
- **Social bios:** Use as the first line of the bio
- **Email signature:** Below the name and title
- **Business cards:** Under the logo
- **Advertising:** As the sign-off line in ads
```

---

## Example: Taglines for a Freelance Business Coaching Brand

```
Business: FreeAgent Academy
Does: Teaches freelancers how to land clients and grow revenue
Audience: Freelancers earning under $100K who want to scale

Top options:
1. "Land clients. Build freedom." — Benefit, aspirational
2. "The business school freelancers deserve." — Descriptive, positioning
3. "Stop freelancing. Start building." — Provocative, imperative
4. "From solo to scalable." — Aspirational, concise
5. "More clients. Less hustle." — Benefit, memorable
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Too generic** — "Quality you can trust" applies to every business on earth. The tagline must be uniquely yours.
- **Too long** — anything over 8 words is a sentence, not a tagline. Edit ruthlessly.
- **Jargon-heavy** — "Leveraging synergistic solutions" means nothing to real humans.
- **Too clever** — if the wordplay requires explanation, it fails. Clarity beats cleverness.
- **Describes the product, not the benefit** — "We make invoicing software" is a description. "Get paid faster" is a tagline.
- **Following trends** — "Your [topic] bestie" will age poorly. Aim for timeless.

---

## Recovery

- **User hates all options:** Ask which 2-3 are closest and what specifically feels off (too playful? too corporate? too generic?). Generate 10 more in the refined direction.
- **Cannot articulate differentiator:** Ask "Why did your last 3 customers choose you over alternatives?" The answer is the differentiator.
- **Tagline needs to work in multiple languages:** Flag potential translation issues. Avoid idioms and wordplay that do not translate.
- **Multiple stakeholders disagree:** Run a simple test — show the top 3 options to 10 people in the target audience and pick the one that resonates most.
- **Existing tagline has brand equity:** Consider evolving it rather than replacing it. Small updates can modernize without losing recognition.