reaperinvest 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.
Core Principle
A GREAT TAGLINE IS MEMORABLE, MEANINGFUL, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO CONFUSE WITH A COMPETITOR — IT MUST SAY SOMETHING ONLY YOUR BRAND CAN SAY.
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.
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).
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]"
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
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
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.
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.