Strapline to the rescue?

Branding people recognise the value of an engaging business name which is engaging - one that makes a connection with its audience, perhaps by conveying the character or personality of a business, or by demonstrating that the business is on the same wavelength as a potential customer.

But we all see business names that are, to put it mildly, a little bland. And sometimes we just have to live with them.

Maybe you can add character and convey some personality by incorporating a strapline? They’re not universally popular, and they’re often ineffective, but if the strapline avoids being as bland as the name, could it undo some of the negatives? Can you rescue an unengaging brand name with a smart strapline? I think you can.

Take motoring brake pad specialists, Mintex. They’ve got a long and proud history that goes back 100 years. They’re Big in brakes. But you wouldn’t know it from their name - there’s no sense of motoring heritage there, and no real personality. They sound like an industrial manufacturer of breath fresheners. 

Creative and clever

But their newly-adopted strapline changes everything: “Braking with tradition”.

It’s clever, and it’s multi-layered (they manage to boast about tradition whilst simultaneously telling me that they’re not stuck in the past). It tells me what they’re all about. And it adds personality.

It just might have saved the day.

If you've gone through all the trouble to get yourself a cool business name, you don't want your hard work to be undone by a poor strapline.