What’s the Difference Between an Elevator Pitch and a Tagline?

I was in a co-working group the other day, and the question came up: What’s the difference between a tagline and an elevator pitch? What a great question! Plus, I’d already written this content as originally part of my Brand Love blog post but cut it because it was getting so long. So here it is. Enjoy!

How You Doin’? A Few Words About Taglines. 

Remember Joey from Friend’s character’s famous line — how you doin’? We still remember it a couple of decades later because it’s short, sweet, and delivered in a way only Joey could say it.

Taglines are like pick-up lines they’re one-liners and are usually made up of 2–6 words. They’re easy to remember, catchy, and grab your attention.

Taglines say who you are and what you stand for and represent your company’s overall mission and purpose. 

They’re short and keep your audience thinking. You shouldn’t have to put your logo or brand name in front of it, it should stand on its own. Be careful, though, you should be willing to use it constantly and make sure it’s something your audience would say.

Here are a few examples of taglines—

• McDonald’s: I’m Lovin’ It. 
• Nike: Just do it.
• Allstate: You’re in good hands.
• Capital One: What’s in your wallet?
• Nelson Log Home Restoration: Restoring the Future. Preserving the Past.

So what should you consider when writing your tagline?

• Is it easy to understand?
• Can people recognize it quickly?
• Is there an obvious connection with your brand?
• Does it communicate your brand’s benefits?
• Does it point out how your brand is different from your competitors?
• Does it work with your logo?

Speed Dating: The Elevator Pitch

If you’re offering a service rather than a product, you’ll need an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is the speed-dating equivalent of telling people what you do. If you only had 30, 60, or 90 seconds, what would you say? 

Craft this message intentionally and include the following—

1. Find something that would pique their interest and get them wanting to know more
2. What you do
3. Your USP
4. Ask a question or have them schedule a call, tour, or other action you want them to take.

Elevator Pitch Examples

Ilise Benun

Business Coach & Mentor for Designers, Copywriters & Creative Pros. Let me help you get better clients with bigger budgets.

Danielle Hughes

I help individuals and organizations to develop their Genuine Personality Brand. What’s that you ask? It means you get to own and embody your message, feel comfortable expressing it and convey what makes you different from your competition. Pretty badass, right?

If you’re looking for more inspiration check out this article by HubSpot, it has more tips plus a free template to help you craft yours.

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