Slogans/taglines: Sure shot way to advertising success?

In today’s competitive world, companies continuously try to come up with unique advertisements to promote and create awareness of their goods and services. Advertising in India, a country with so much diversity, is particularly challenging as advertisements have to be carefully tailored so as not to offend anyone’s sensibilities. They must also meet the criteria set by Advertising Standards Council of India, a self-regulatory body.

In the race to monopolize the attention and interest of consumers, taglines and slogans have acquired a significant position. Though often used interchangeably, a difference does exist between the two. A tagline represents a company’s identity, values and business as a whole, and is not changed frequently, e.g. Disneyland’s tagline “The happiest place on Earth”. Taglines such as Nike’s “Just do it” and McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” have become synonymous with the respective companies, forming an integral part of their brand identity.

A slogan is an innovative expression, informing customers about a particular product or service, and can easily change with the coming of new campaigns. In India, slogans such as PepsiCo’s “Yehi hai right choice Baby, Aha”, which were introduced in 1990s, are still popular among the customers. Such is the power of slogans and taglines that even years after being introduced in the market, they continue to hold the interest and attention of the customers.

Manisha Singh is a founding partner of LexOrbis, where Raashi Jain is an associate.