Imagine an advertising agency getting the perfect client brief ... including the key buying motives and driving forces of the targeted audience.
Imagine the agency’s creative team transforming that perfect brief into perfectly on-point, authentic, emotionally captivating headlines and copy. In the preferred language or languages of the targeted people. Exquisite graphic design, photos or video to take the rational buying decision to the next level.
Wham! So genuine, so human, so authentic …
Then slap on a smart-sounding but painfully distanced tagline in the official corporate language. Maybe in English ... but a bit too clever for an audience with English as their second or third language. Maybe bland enough to be equally acceptable in all kinds of cultures. Killing that perfect beginning.
Why on earth would anybody do a stupid thing like that?
- A. To have a consistent global message? But the real ”message” is not in the words, it’s in their meaning ... the thought behind the words ... the values they represent.
- B. To sound big, famous, cool, and … international? Hmmm … Probably your targeted buyers would rather be bonding with someone well grounded in their own community, understanding THEIR needs and wants, THEIR language, THEIR world.
- C. To streamline production and minimize the cost for translations and adaptation? Why not maximize the targeted audience’s heartfelt recognition instead.
- D. Because the company is so big, with so many product promises, that there is no common ground to communicate? Well, save the money, or share it between the product divisions. They probably know better what to do with it.
- E. Because the audience is traveling the world, and may face your product promotion in other parts of the world. Really? REALLY?
Honestly now … would any of these motivations be worth killing the moment, spoiling the beginning of a meaningful dialogue? Wouldn’t you be better off with a tagline in tune with your commercial dialogs?
Way back in 2019 Phyron introduced the tagline ”We bring all your cars to life”. Highlighting what the company’s online service actually does for the world’s car dealers. Not repeating but perfectly in tune with the more detailed promises of the company’s Inventory videos ... Paid ads for the world’s social media ... and AI-enhanced Stills to match.
