What is the Difference Between Slogan and Tagline

The main difference between slogan and tagline is that slogans can change frequently whereas taglines are more permanent in nature.

Slogans and taglines are short, catchy phrases that represent a company or business. Although most of us use these two words interchangeably, there is a slight difference between a slogan and a tagline. A slogan is a brief phrase or sentence communicating the features or benefits of the company or its product and services. A tagline is a short, catchy phrase representative of the brand and it acts as a brand trigger.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Slogan 
     – Definition, Features, Examples
2. What is a Tagline
     – Definition, Features, Examples
3. What is the Difference Between Slogan and Tagline
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Brand, Tagline, Slogan

What is a Slogan

A slogan is a brief attention-catching phrase businesses use in advertising or promotion. A slogan can communicate a company’s mission and what it stands for. It can describe a product and service, and tell the consumers what the company does and why. It can also describe why consumers should pick that particular product or service. A slogan is much like a motto. It’s short and attractive.

Examples of Slogans

MasterCard – “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”

De Beers – “A Diamond Is Forever”

M&M – “Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands”

Dollar Shave Club – “Shave Time. Shave Money.”

Nike – “Inspiration and Innovation for Every Athlete in the World.”

A company may have different slogans for different products. When a business introduces new products, it may launch new product campaigns with its own slogans. Moreover, in comparison to a tagline, a slogan is more temporary in nature. Slogans can be changed frequently to highlight specific aspects of products and services. For example, see the below list of slogans for Coca-Cola from 1993-2009.

• 1993 – Always Coca-Cola
• 2000 – Coca-Cola. Enjoy
• 2001 – Life Tastes Good
• 2003 – Coca-Cola… Real
• 2005 – Make It Real
• 2006 – The Coke Side of Life
• 2009 – Open Happiness

What is a Tagline

A tagline is a short and snappy phrase that represents a brand. It’s almost like a verbal logo. A tagline doesn’t necessarily tell consumers why they should use a product or service. They also do not include the features or benefits of a phrase. But they act as brand triggers. Whenever people see or hear these words (tagline), they automatically associate the brand it belongs to. Taglines are very useful in brand building.

Examples of Taglines

McDonald – “I’m Lovin’ It”

KFC – “Finger Lickin’ Good”

Nike – “Just Do It”

L’Oréal – “Because You’re Worth It”

Apple – “Think Different”

Kit Kat – “Have a break, have a Kit Kat”

A tagline becomes popular and representative of a brand through repetition. Some of the above examples are just long-running slogans that have become taglines because of their popularity. A company can change its tagline, but it’s not recommended unless there is a very good reason for the change.

Difference Between Slogan and Tagline

Definition

A slogan is a brief and catchy phrase or sentence communicating the features or benefits of the company or its product and services. A tagline is a short and snappy phrase that represents a brand and acts as a verbal logo. 

Use

Slogans can communicate a company’s mission, what it stands for, as well as features and benefits of products and services it offers. Taglines, on the other hand, do not describe the company, product, or service. But taglines can act as brand triggers.

Change

While slogans can change, taglines are more permanent in nature.

Conclusion

A slogan is a brief phrase or sentence communicating the features or benefits of the company or product, while a tagline is a short, catchy phrase representative of the brand and acts as a brand trigger. The main difference between slogan and tagline is that slogans can change frequently whereas taglines are more permanent in nature.

Reference:

1. Cox, Lindsay Kolowich. “26 Companies With Really Catchy Slogans & Brand Taglines.” HubSpot Blog.
2. “History of Coca-Cola Advertising Slogans – News & Articles.” The Coca-Cola Company.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Open Happiness” By The Coca-Cola Company – (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan ケンタッキーフライドチキン It’s so refreshingly good” By Majiscup Paper Cup 紙コッ (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) via Flickr