After 50 years of “We try harder,” AVIS Car Rental has announced that it will replace that slogan with a new one, “It’s your space.” When introduced, “We try harder” was lauded as a brilliant counterpoint to Hertz’s #1 position in the car rental industry. It was a strong brand promise that played off the belief that the #2 car rental company would work harder on a customer’s behalf.
We are big believers in taglines. They are an effective way to communicate the brand’s “unique value proposition” powerfully, succinctly and memorably. It is very difficult to create the perfect tagline, however, because of all of the objectives that it must accomplish:
In definitive global research, The Conference Board has found the development and consistent use of a tagline to be a key factor in brand strategy success.
Any successful brand is successful by standing for something in the mind.
As I sit through all of the expensive commercials running during NFL games, I’m struck with the fact that the marketing world is mired in what can only be called, runaway sloganeering.
