Tagline should capture the essence of brand position

Take this tagline from Pepperidge Farm ( I was parked. I swear). It says “Good is in the details.” While some of you may think there’s nothing original about this particular phrasing, I think it’s quite remarkable in its simplicity. It harkens back to hand-crafted foods lovingly prepared with attention to delicate flavors, mindful ingredients, quality, and presentation. I don’t often buy their cookies, but when I do I turn up the clever to find an unlikely hidey-hole. These cookies are not for sharing, and certainly not for my kids’ philistine palates (corn dog, anyone?).

More about why this tagline works:

• The adjective good reminds me why I eat a cookie. No, not for the fat and calories (a lagging effect, yes). But because I want a little yummy in my tummy. A little “yay!” in my day.
• Well details just nails it, yes? Compare a package (you can’t even call it a bag; it’s the Donna Karen of bags with its dainty separator cups, foil liner and heavy paper construction) of Milanos to a package of Oreos. One’s an indulgent, multi-sensory experience to be savored. The other an all-you-can-eat buffet at a dorm cafeteria.

Part of the branding process involves acknowledging the differences between your brand and others. Sometimes those differences may first appear as disadvantages, like the way Pepperidge Farm cookies are more expensive than Nabisco. But by embracing the differences to enhance the emotional value of the product, a brand can sweep barriers aside to own a remarkable position. Rather than apologize for the additional cost or ignore it all together, the company subtly lets consumers know it’ll be worth the extra. The implication is that feeding-frenzy Oreos lack the love of a Milano.

According to their web site, Pepperidge Farm ranks in the top 2 percent of brands worldwide in brand equity and topped $1 billion in sales (2001). That’s a pretty good place for an expensive cookie to be.