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.

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Core Principle

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

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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.

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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).

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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]"

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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

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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

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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.

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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.