To be effective, a company strapline – and the words that immediately follow it, perhaps on your website’s landing page, the side of your van, or in the introduction to your brochure – should follow three simple rules:
- Say what you do
- Say it in everyday English
- Avoid tired management buzzwords
That way, people will know straight away what you’re about, which is a good start. And they’ll thank you for saying it clearly – so if they need or want what you offer, they might just look you up and find out how you do it.
In other words, don’t hide behind meaningless words – be up-front and proud of what you do. People don’t have time to decipher cryptic messages, like this gem from the local offices of a large firm, who describe themselves as… wait for it… the ‘Outcome Delivery Partner’.
This seems to break all three rules quite heroically. There is no way anyone can work out what they do; it’s anything but everyday English, and it’s made entirely of buzzwords. Perhaps, in a roundabout way, they mean ‘we do things for you’ – which is the purpose of every business in existence, so we’re still none the wiser.
Any guesses? Midwifery, maybe?
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