Speaker at Copycon19 - Australia's premier event for copywriters and content marketers.

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10. BUT SOME ARE EVEN MORE WRONG…
#COPYCON19

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14. GREAT TAGLINES STAND THE
TEST OF TIME
#COPYCON19

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35. WHAT’S THE POINT OF TAGLINES?
#COPYCON19

36. THE PURPOSE OF A TAGLINE
• To leave the key brand message in the mind of the target
• Attaches significant, lasting meaning to the brand
• Says ‘If you get nothing else from this ad, get this..!’
via Drayton Bird
#COPYCON19

37. THE PURPOSE OF A TAGLINE
• To leave the key brand message in the mind of the target
• Attaches significant, lasting meaning to the brand
• Says ‘If you get nothing else from this ad, get this..!’
via Drayton Bird
#COPYCON19

38. THE PURPOSE OF A TAGLINE
• To leave the key brand message in the mind of the target
• Attaches significant, lasting meaning to the brand
• Says ‘If you get nothing else from this ad, get this..!’
via Drayton Bird
#COPYCON19

39. THE PURPOSE OF A TAGLINE
• To leave the key brand message in the mind of the target
• Attaches significant, lasting meaning to the brand
• Says ‘If you get nothing else from this ad, get this..!’
via Drayton Bird
#COPYCON19

40. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• An effective tagline will:
– Pique interest
– Highlight your strengths
– Help your prospects instantly understand how you
can help them
#COPYCON19

41. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• An effective tagline will:
– Pique interest
– Highlight your strengths
– Help your prospects instantly understand how you
can help them
#COPYCON19

42. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• An effective tagline will:
– Pique interest
– Highlight your strengths
– Help your prospects instantly understand how you
can help them
#COPYCON19

43. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• An effective tagline will:
– Pique interest
– Highlight your strengths
– Help your prospects instantly understand how you
can help them
#COPYCON19

44. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• When it’s well-crafted, your tagline is a major
competitive advantage
• Distinctive brand asset
– Builds mental availability
– Can be legally protected
#COPYCON19

45. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• When it’s well-crafted, your tagline is a major
competitive advantage
• Distinctive brand asset
– Builds mental availability
– Can be legally protected
#COPYCON19

46. THE BENEFITS OF A GOOD TAGLINE
• When it’s well-crafted, your tagline is a major
competitive advantage
• Distinctive brand asset
– Builds mental availability
– Can be legally protected
#COPYCON19

47. WRITING TAGLINES
#COPYCON19

48. FIRST AND FOREMOST: BE HONEST
• Don't boast and don't lie
• ‘If you're selling a very ordinary Skoda, don't talk about The Drive of
Your Life’
• Let your tagline derive from the truth, rather than what you would
like to be the truth
• Think hard about what the brand really offers that makes it better
#COPYCON19

49. FIRST AND FOREMOST: BE HONEST
• Don't boast and don't lie
• ‘If you're selling a very ordinary Skoda, don't talk about The Drive of
Your Life’
• Let your tagline derive from the truth, rather than what you would
like to be the truth
• Think hard about what the brand really offers that makes it better
#COPYCON19

50. FIRST AND FOREMOST: BE HONEST
• Don't boast and don't lie
• ‘If you're selling a very ordinary Skoda, don't talk about The Drive of
Your Life’
• Let your tagline derive from the truth, rather than what you would
like to be the truth
• Think hard about what the brand really offers that makes it better
#COPYCON19

51. FIRST AND FOREMOST: BE HONEST
• Don't boast and don't lie
• ‘If you're selling a very ordinary Skoda, don't talk about The Drive of
Your Life’
• Let your tagline derive from the truth, rather than what you would
like to be the truth
• Think hard about what the brand really offers that makes it better
#COPYCON19

52. FIRST AND FOREMOST: BE HONEST
• Don't boast and don't lie
• ‘If you're selling a very ordinary Skoda, don't talk about The Drive of
Your Life’
• Let your tagline derive from the truth, rather than what you would
like to be the truth
• Think hard about what the brand really offers that makes it better
#COPYCON19

53. CONSIDER USING THE PRATFALL EFFECT…
#COPYCON19

54. #COPYCON19

55. #COPYCON19

56. #COPYCON19Credit: Clif Dickens

57. #COPYCON19Credit: Clif Dickens

58. #COPYCON19Credit: Clif Dickens

59. #COPYCON19Credit: Clif Dickens

60. #COPYCON19Credit: Clif Dickens

61. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TAGLINE
• Be original
– e.g. don't tell me you're going to give me ‘more’
• Differentiate the brand
– e.g. ‘It's Independent. Are you?’
• Include a key benefit
– e.g. ‘Visa. It's everywhere you want to be’
• Keep it simple
– Helps to make it memorable
#COPYCON19

62. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TAGLINE
• Be original
– e.g. don't tell me you're going to give me ‘more’
• Differentiate the brand
– e.g. ‘It's Independent. Are you?’
• Include a key benefit
– e.g. ‘Visa. It's everywhere you want to be’
• Keep it simple
– Helps to make it memorable
#COPYCON19

63. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TAGLINE
• Be original
– e.g. don't tell me you're going to give me ‘more’
• Differentiate the brand
– e.g. ‘It's Independent. Are you?’
• Include a key benefit
– e.g. ‘Visa. It's everywhere you want to be’
• Keep it simple
– Helps to make it memorable
#COPYCON19

64. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TAGLINE
• Be original
– e.g. don't tell me you're going to give me ‘more’
• Differentiate the brand
– e.g. ‘It's Independent. Are you?’
• Include a key benefit
– e.g. ‘Visa. It's everywhere you want to be’
• Keep it simple
– Helps to make it memorable
#COPYCON19

65. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD TAGLINE
• Be original
– e.g. don't tell me you're going to give me ‘more’
• Differentiate the brand
– e.g. ‘It's Independent. Are you?’
• Include a key benefit
– e.g. ‘Visa. It's everywhere you want to be’
• Keep it simple
– Helps to make it memorable
#COPYCON19

66. There is power
in simplicity and
weakness in
complexity.
There is power
in simplicity and
weakness in
complexity.
#COPYCON19

67. HOW TO WRITE A SHITHOUSE TAGLINE
• Use corporate gobbledybollocks
– ‘Delivering customer-centric e-commerce solutions’ vs. ‘We make it easy for you to get paid’
• Say something meaningless
– e.g. ‘Tomorrow’s [your category] today’
• Try to be too clever
– ‘Bringing in the rain’ vs. ‘Reliable sprinkler systems for a lawn you’ll love’
• Be pretentious
– E.g. ‘Passion to perform’ (Deutsche Bank)
#COPYCON19

68. HOW TO WRITE A SHITHOUSE TAGLINE
• Use corporate gobbledybollocks
– ‘Delivering customer-centric e-commerce solutions’ vs. ‘We make it easy for you to get paid’
• Say something meaningless
– e.g. ‘Tomorrow’s [your category] today’
• Try to be too clever
– ‘Bringing in the rain’ vs. ‘Reliable sprinkler systems for a lawn you’ll love’
• Be pretentious
– E.g. ‘Passion to perform’ (Deutsche Bank)
#COPYCON19

69. HOW TO WRITE A SHITHOUSE TAGLINE
• Use corporate gobbledybollocks
– ‘Delivering customer-centric e-commerce solutions’ vs. ‘We make it easy for you to get paid’
• Say something meaningless
– e.g. ‘Tomorrow’s [your category] today’
• Try to be too clever
– ‘Bringing in the rain’ vs. ‘Reliable sprinkler systems for a lawn you’ll love’
• Be pretentious
– E.g. ‘Passion to perform’ (Deutsche Bank)
#COPYCON19

70. HOW TO WRITE A SHITHOUSE TAGLINE
• Use corporate gobbledybollocks
– ‘Delivering customer-centric e-commerce solutions’ vs. ‘We make it easy for you to get paid’
• Say something meaningless
– e.g. ‘Tomorrow’s [your category] today’
• Try to be too clever
– ‘Bringing in the rain’ vs. ‘Reliable sprinkler systems for a lawn you’ll love’
• Be pretentious
– E.g. ‘Passion to perform’ (Deutsche Bank)
#COPYCON19

71. HOW TO WRITE A SHITHOUSE TAGLINE
• Use corporate gobbledybollocks
– ‘Delivering customer-centric e-commerce solutions’ vs. ‘We make it easy for you to get paid’
• Say something meaningless
– e.g. ‘Tomorrow’s [your category] today’
• Try to be too clever
– ‘Bringing in the rain’ vs. ‘Reliable sprinkler systems for a lawn you’ll love’
• Be pretentious
– E.g. ‘Passion to perform’ (Deutsche Bank)
#COPYCON19

72. #COPYCON19

73. “Too many taglines
reflect what makes
those who run them -
the creative people
and the client - feel
good rather than
what will sell.”
#COPYCON19

74. SELLING TAGLINES
#COPYCON19

75. “Can I be the
first to say why
I don’t like it?”

76. HOW TO ‘SELL’ TAGLINES TO YOUR CLIENTS
• Reinforce the purpose of a tagline
• Explain the importance of truth
• Encourage professional detachment
• Show them the evidence for concrete language
#COPYCON19

77. HOW TO ‘SELL’ TAGLINES TO YOUR CLIENTS
• Reinforce the purpose of a tagline
• Explain the importance of truth
• Encourage professional detachment
• Show them the evidence for concrete language
#COPYCON19

78. HOW TO ‘SELL’ TAGLINES TO YOUR CLIENTS
• Reinforce the purpose of a tagline
• Explain the importance of truth
• Encourage professional detachment
• Show them the evidence for concrete language
#COPYCON19

79. HOW TO ‘SELL’ TAGLINES TO YOUR CLIENTS
• Reinforce the purpose of a tagline
• Explain the importance of truth
• Encourage professional detachment
• Show them the evidence for concrete language
#COPYCON19

80. HOW TO ‘SELL’ TAGLINES TO YOUR CLIENTS
• Reinforce the purpose of a tagline
• Explain the importance of truth
• Encourage professional detachment
• Show them the evidence for concrete language
#COPYCON19

81. #COPYCON19

82. #COPYCON19

83. CHARGING FOR TAGLINES
#COPYCON19

84. RULE 1
Do NOT charge
by the hour
#COPYCON19

85. “If I do a job in 30 minutes,
it’s because I spent 10 years
learning how to do that in
30 minutes.
You owe me for the years,
not the minutes.”
- Davy Greenberg
#COPYCON19

86. Do NOT charge
by the word
RULE 2
#COPYCON19

87. #COPYCON19

88. HOW TO CHARGE FOR TAGLINES
• Charge what is fair for the value you provide
• Don’t imagine raiding your savings to pay for your own
copywriting services, because you are not your ideal client
• Don’t consider how you would feel paying for your time,
because you’re not selling your services to yourself
#COPYCON19

89. HOW TO CHARGE FOR TAGLINES
• Charge what is fair for the value you provide
• Don’t imagine raiding your savings to pay for your own
copywriting services, because you are not your ideal client
• Don’t consider how you would feel paying for your time,
because you’re not selling your services to yourself
#COPYCON19

90. HOW TO CHARGE FOR TAGLINES
• Charge what is fair for the value you provide
• Don’t imagine raiding your savings to pay for your own
copywriting services, because you are not your ideal client
• Don’t consider how you would feel paying for your time,
because you’re not selling your services to yourself
#COPYCON19

91. HOW TO CHARGE FOR TAGLINES
• Charge what is fair for the value you provide
• Don’t imagine raiding your savings to pay for your own
copywriting services, because you are not your ideal client
• Don’t consider how you would feel paying for your time,
because you’re not selling your services to yourself
#COPYCON19

92. SOME BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE TECHNIQUES
• Framing
– e.g. compare your rate to that of big agencies
• ‘Because’
– e.g. ‘I charge this because I’ve written these successful examples.’
• Social proof
– e.g. demonstrate what others pay for a similar project
• Scarcity
– Show that you are busy and in demand
#COPYCON19

93. SOME BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE TECHNIQUES
• Framing
– e.g. compare your rate to that of big agencies
• ‘Because’
– e.g. ‘I charge this because I’ve written these successful examples.’
• Social proof
– e.g. demonstrate what others pay for a similar project
• Scarcity
– Show that you are busy and in demand
#COPYCON19

94. SOME BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE TECHNIQUES
• Framing
– e.g. compare your rate to that of big agencies
• ‘Because’
– e.g. ‘I charge this because I’ve written these successful examples.’
• Social proof
– e.g. demonstrate what others pay for a similar project
• Scarcity
– Show that you are busy and in demand
#COPYCON19

95. SOME BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE TECHNIQUES
• Framing
– e.g. compare your rate to that of big agencies
• ‘Because’
– e.g. ‘I charge this because I’ve written these successful examples.’
• Social proof
– e.g. demonstrate what others pay for a similar project
• Scarcity
– Show that you are busy and in demand
#COPYCON19

96. SOME BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE TECHNIQUES
• Framing
– e.g. compare your rate to that of big agencies
• ‘Because’
– e.g. ‘I charge this because I’ve written these successful examples.’
• Social proof
– e.g. demonstrate what others pay for a similar project
• Scarcity
– Show that you are busy and in demand
#COPYCON19

97. #COPYCON19