Regardless of what you think of marketing, you will likely be aware of the many wonderful (or annoying, depending on your perspective) taglines that companies all tend to have these days. It is likely your own company has one. What do they really mean and translate into?
All fine with a good tagline
Just in case you don’t know or haven’t given the issue much thought, a tagline is a phrase that accompanies a brand name. The key is that the words quickly translate a business’s positioning and brand identity into a single line (the tagline). It is meant to give an instant insight into what the company does and how. Stirring the mind and soul of a potential client. Such is the power of the tagline.
Providing consumers with an indication of the brand and its market position in just a few memorable words. Great taglines have a number of common attributes. They are memorable, short, they reflect reality but are ambitious and hopeful too. They capture a company’s sense of personality and of what they aspire to be. No small feat in a few words. This is the move away from just a company name into the sphere of being a brand. Something which is quite a leap indeed. Get it right and it looks and sounds ideal, get it wrong and well, huge damage can be done.
Ego tripping
You may have already spotted the very fine line between what a company wants to be and the cold hard facts of reality. There is a definite sense of egotism at play when it comes to taglines, and the power of optimism, persuasion, aspiration and hope they project. Done well the tagline conveys a brand’s point of difference. The tagline tells what sets the brand (or company) apart from others. It clarifies a brand’s market position and the really good ones even manage to outline or hint at key benefits too. This is especially important if the brand name doesn’t quickly communicate the brand’s offerings and distinctions.
You might wonder what a StratumFive is, if we weren’t here to tell you… So, we have a snappy few words which in one fell swoop tell the reader who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we’d be great for them. They are promises of values and communicate the good we can bring, the problems we solve and reasons for engaging.
Good, bad and ugly
It is impossible today to be a consumer or indeed work in an industry even one such as shipping without having come across a whole host of taglines. Some of the best ones get stuck in our minds, and we may even use them ourselves in daily conversation. Every Little Helps…as they say. Yes, that’s Tesco’s and it’s a great one. There are many wonderful examples out there. Nike, “Just Do It”. Apple, “Think Different”. L’Oreal, “Because You’re Worth It”. Adidas, “Impossible is Nothing”, Sunnto, “Sophisticated Roughness”. They make you feel a sense of personality, of what you will become in using them. They are powerful tools when done well, or can be puzzling, embarrassing or downright wrong. Nothing sucks like an Electrolux…for example. Difficult to know where to go with that one!
We are all doing it
Even in what was considered a rather staid and conservative industry just a couple of years ago, many shipping companies have experienced a shift from traditional marketing methods to online and digital marketing campaigns. They have embraced the tagline as part of doing so. So what are the key maritime/shipping taglines out there? Let’s start with the biggest, Maersk’s various companies have had a range of taglines over the years.
We’ve had “All the Way”, “Your Promise. Delivered” and “We move more than Cargo” Elsewhere, we’ve had CMA CGM with “Shipping the Future”, and now they have “Better Ways”. The company states that this is “a call to action, with the aim of delivering new and better ways for all our customers, partners and staff members”. Cruise lines love a tagline, perhaps more than any other sector of the industry. MSC Cruises, “The Most Modern Fleet in the World”, and who could forget Carnival Cruise Line…”Fun for All. All for Fun”.
A big picture company
Creating a tagline is not necessarily the easiest thing. It takes what can be termed ruthless creativity. Something which can be hard to conjure up, but if you can find it then you are onto a winner.
So about us, “StratumFive: A Big Picture Company”. Yes, we have our tagline. One which we hope sets the scene and gives an insight into us. One which makes it clear what we are about, how we see ourselves, and what you can gain by working with us. For our tagline, we felt that bringing together all we have been, all we are, and all that we will be in the future was key. Important not just for us, but for our clients too. A picture of what is going on, and of the shape of things to come – our expertise and systems giving the palette of options to help colour the future for the industry.
We have been trusted to provide mission-critical solutions to the global shipping community for over a decade. This is both a responsibility and a privilege, which provides us with insight into what is truly shaping shipping. Our role has evolved and we now connect more of the maritime world’s data sources than ever before and we are redefining the standards for voyage informatics. We apply data and seafaring knowledge to deliver the big picture and critical details. That power enables every client to achieve safer, more efficient and sustainable operations.
That is what voyage informatics is for. This is why we are. That is the big picture.
Stay connected and safe.
