I was at a business meeting when I was approached by a friend of mine. She complemented the tie I was wearing, then, with a bit of a smirk, said she appreciated vintage neckwear! To be able to understand her whimsy, you need to know that I was running on a tight schedule when I was dressing for my day and pulled a tie out from the back of my closet. It was a nice tie, but I had not worn it in probably 15 years. My wife, typically the guardian of my daily attire, was not available, so I knotted up my old tie and went on with my day.

Vintage is a good word when you are describing things that age well. A vintage bottle of wine, a vintage Cadillac, a vintage book, etc., all depict class and value by the use of the adjective. However, if I were to use the word vintage in conjunction with items that don’t age so well, it would be a big turnoff. A vintage chicken salad sandwich doesn’t have the same appeal as a vintage diamond necklace, does it?

Words matter, especially in marketing where you are trying to grab the attention of a customer and help them to understand and remember what you are selling. Let’s examine these three areas.

Headlines: Do I have your attention?

Marketing is all about getting the attention of potential customers. Ever since PT Barnum rolled his traveling circus from town to town; making big, bold statements in advance of a sale is one of the necessary places where words really matter. Barnum would place newspaper ads and put up posters in a city weeks before the circus came to town. You may not be trying to get people to see the Fejee Mermaid, the World’s Tiniest Man or the Dog-faced boy, but you may be trying to get them to look at your ad or read your blog. The words you use in headlines are critical to your marketing success. In many cases, it is the only thing that a customer will see. It needs to be short and to the point to be memorable. But it also has to create intrigue to be of any marketing value.

Do you understand the difference between us and them?

One of the key components to good marketing is a campaign that emphasizes the differences between your brand and the competition. We typically start this process with a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that highlights your products and services ability to solve problems for your customers. These points need to be honed down to simple statements that stand behind your brand and are used in all your advertising. USPs are not long. In fact, the shorter the list, the better the customer will understand why they would buy from you and not the competition. Again, the words you use need to written for maximum impact. We build advertising campaigns, including slogans, from the USP.

Do I remember what you said?

One of the most significant places where words matter in marketing is in a company’s tagline. A tagline summarizes the finest point of distinction between a brand and its competition. In a nutshell, a tagline defines the brand. We suggest that a tagline be only seven syllables or less. Beyond that the human brain will have trouble remembering it. If you cannot remember the tagline, you run the risk of your target market not really knowing exactly what the brand represents.

Take this quiz. Can you tell me what brand is represented by their tagline?

• Cover the earth
• Who are you when you’re hungry?
• Get there
• 100% Juice
• Have it your way
• Zoom zoom

Taglines also need to fit what you do. If you are selling items at a discount, the tagline should reflect this. If you are selling on quality, the tagline should point you in that direction. It should also pack a bit of an edge. In a few words, it should register what your brand is all about.

So I wore my vintage tie with great honor during the business meeting I was attending. At the end of the day, I put it back in the rack at the back of my closet and have not worn it since then. Words matter in marketing. Make the most of them.

_______________

Answers to the quiz:

1. Sherwin Williams paint

2. Snickers chocolate bars

3. Uber

4. Juicy Juice

5. Burger King – However, they have been using another tagline "Be your way” since 2014 and is transposed over the older (since 1974) "Have it your way.”

6. Mazda Motors