Actions Speak Louder Than Words

For decades, brand taglines have been the cornerstone of successful advertising strategy. From the legendary Just Do It (Nike) to the catchy I’m Lovin’ It (McDonald's), these popular phrases once defined brands in the public consciousness. Yet, in the modern marketing landscape where customer experience is critical, are pithy slogans losing relevance?

The decline of brand taglines

How many brand taglines can you remember off the top of your head?

While a few iconic lines like Apple’s Think Different (Apple) or L'Oréal’s Because You’re Worth It might come to mind, the truth is that most consumers struggle to remember more than a few. In an era of information overload, where we’re bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily, brand taglines are getting lost in the noise.

Furthermore, the impact of taglines on consumer behaviour is becoming increasingly questionable. Today’s savvy consumers are more interested in tangible benefits and authentic experiences than clever wordplay. As marketing guru Seth Godin aptly said, ‘Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but the stories you tell.’

The power of customer experience

These days, the stories that resonate are those told through customer experiences. The brand narrative created by consistent positive interactions has far more impact than a clever phrase ever could. Positive experiences create emotional bonds that generic and impersonal slogans can’t.

Mastercard, famous for its Priceless campaign and tagline, has significantly shifted towards experience-focused branding in recent years. In 2019, Mastercard took the bold step of removing its name from its logo entirely, signalling a move beyond traditional branding approaches.

With the launch of its Priceless Experiences platform, Mastercard transformed its long-running tagline into a comprehensive experiential marketing strategy. The platform offers cardholders access to unique, curated experiences across various categories like dining, sports, music and travel, turning the Priceless tagline into tangible experiences and emotive memories.

Mastercard's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Raja Rajamannar, explained this shift. ‘People are moving from materialism to experientialism. They would rather collect memories and experiences than things.’

When brands focus on delivering exceptional interactions at every touch point, they build far stronger connections with their audience.

When customers are happy, they become brand advocates, eagerly sharing their experiences with others. While taglines leave a fleeting impression, positive customer experiences create valuable long-term brand relationships.

Providing holistic brand experiences

While taglines aren’t obsolete, the Mastercard example shows that even brands with highly recognisable slogans are shifting focus to holistic brand experiences that resonate across the customer life cycle. But this doesn’t mean marketers must abandon all aspects of traditional marketing. Instead, we need to integrate brand messaging into the overall customer experience in a natural way that adds value.

Instead of relying on catchy taglines to do the heavy lifting, brands must express their core values and promises in every customer interaction.

As the experience-driven economy takes over, the power of brand-building no longer lies with clever slogans. It lies in the cumulative impact of positive experiences.

While Eat Fresh might catch momentary attention for Subway, the quality of customer interactions and value will keep people coming back.

Smart brands are recognising this shift in consumer expectations and adapting their strategies to create experiences that speak louder than words ever could.