Creating a tagline for your spa brand

POP QUIZ: Can you name the brands that go with these taglines?

• It gives you wings
• Breakfast of champions
• Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun
• The happiest place on Earth
• Don't leave home without it
• Friends don't let friends drive drunk
• Raising the bar
• What's in your wallet?
• A diamond is forever

While you may not have recognized a few, my guess is that you recognized most. [Answers are at the bottom of this post.]  Take another look...do you sing a little song with any of them?  Do you have a particular image or picture in your head when you think of that brand?  If so, those smartie pants brand managers did their job creating a memorable brand.

What is a tagline anyways?  Simply put, it a very short sentence or phrase that describes your business.  It is an opportunity to attach an emotion to your business beyond your logo and business name.  Here are some strong taglines I have found in the day spa and medical spa industry:

• An oasis of tranquility
• Your body and soul sanctuary
• For everyday well-being
• Feel great now
• Medical skincare and apothecary
• Where medical technology meets luxury spa

Some of these are trademarked, so don't go using them willy-nilly for your business.  Speaking of which, a great tagline isn't a plug-and-play kind of thing that can apply to everyone.  It does need to uniquely reference you or your business. Here are some guidelines for a good tagline.

1. Short and sweet. It needs to be less than 7, but ideally 3 to 5 words in length.  You want it to be easy to say and read -- since you will be saying it a lot and using it in all your marketing materials.
2. Interesting or emotional. To be memorable, it does need to have some spark to it that creates motion or action.  If not, it should remind your clients of an emotion or feeling that they will have when at your business. 
3. What makes you so special?  Referring to the above examples, you can glean what type of business they are simply by the tagline.  Even without knowing the name of the business or anything else you can tell that "an oasis of tranquility" will provide a quiet and intimate retreat.  "Feel good now" is more of an in/out place for people in a hurry. 

How to find your tagline. I like to work backwards to find those 3 - 7 words that best represent you. [This exercise is best done with one or two other people as your ideas can build on each other.]

1. Start by brainstorming the adjectives you use most to describe your spa, describe why clients come to you and your philosophy for care.   
2. Once you have a list of small sentences and phrases, pick out a few that really stand out -- that you are passionate about -- that truly represent the core of what your business provides. 
3. Then play around with the order of the words, the tense, the modifiers.  Come up with two or three options and then let it marinate. 
4. Take break and come back in a few hours or days and narrow it down even further.  In time, and by testing the tagline with others, you will find that tagline that best fits your business.

With your new tagline in hand, add it to the obvious places-- your website, your products, your phone greeting, your brochure, your front door or signs. Perhaps you want to add it to your logo.  Do whatever feels good to you...but know you now have an excellent marketing tool at your disposal.  Don't be afraid to use it.

POP QUIZ ANSWERS: Red Bull, Wheaties, McDonalds, Disneyland, American Express, US Department of Transportation, Cingular, Capitol One, De Beers

Comments

[Hobosic]

Hello, not bad... Thanks Hobosic