09 Jul The Difference between Value Propositions, Taglines, and Slogans

I’ve got a great product for you.
It leverages western dialects to influence right and left hemisphere activity, thereby increasing clicks-per-visit.
And if none of that was helpful, welcome to the point of today’s article.
Entrepreneurs often fall into the trap of describing what their product is rather than what benefit it provides. You may as well be speaking a foreign tongue! Enter the value proposition. The above paragraph is an extreme example written to illustrate the difference between, “Our handwritten articles build trust and influence clientele to buy more, sooner.”
Because what you are really in business for is profit, right?
In my previous article I used Columbian coffee beans to describe Value Propositions. Our hypothetical coffee was uniquely prepared and had a flavor connoisseurs love. The proposition was that prospects would enjoy tastes not found in other products. Now, suppose prospects are seeking its rejuvenate abilities. Our Value Proposition then might be, “Social Coffee wakes you up for work after a bender. Enjoy late-night partying without losing your job!” I did that in 18 words! A Value Proposition, by definition, is a phrase that says in 20 words or less why I should you over your competitors.
Okay, so what is the Difference between Value Propositions and Taglines?
In reality, “wakes you up for work after a bender”, is trite. Value Propositions are displayed prominently on your website and elaborate on the benefits. The point is that you can describe what problems your products solves specifically.
Before proceeding, let’s explain the differences between taglines and slogans. A slogan is used for campaigns or products. McDonald’s, “I’m Lovin’ It”, springs to mind. What benefit did you contrive from those 3 words? As you can see, that slogan was rather opaque. Yet the campaign itself was a huge success! Slogans are used for associating a phrase with your marketing direction. They are a one-off.
Taglines are eternal. Nike has run hundreds of campaigns since its inception, yet the tagline, “Just Do It.” never changes.
Let’s put it all together.
Apple’s tagline will forever be, “Think Differently.” At the time of writing, their slogan for the MacBook is “Light. Years Ahead.” Clicking the Learn More button on their splash page reveals a product description. It reads,
Our goal with MacBook was to do the impossible: engineer a full size experience into the lightest and most compact Mac notebook ever. This is their Value Proposition (23 words!)
Their marketing team could elaborate further (called Value Claims) by explaining the benefit of a light, comfortable, and powerful notebook. Can it be concealed easily? Is it less disruptive in board meetings? Does the enhanced keyboard reduce wrist strain? Will the elderly have greater freedom? Be specific.
Apple is ubiquitous. Most people will seek their website. I recommend placing your value proposition up front and center and then continue to pepper that VP throughout your site through headlines, sub headlines and your overall website copy.
Need help developing your Value Proposition? Give me a buzz and let’s start the conversation.