Last week we noted the winning taglines in Nancy Schwartz’s third annual nonprofit tagline competition. Nancy’s announcement was accompanied by a nifty video making the case for well-conceived taglines. So far, so good.

Then we received the following comments from fundraiser and blogger Chuck English (Fundraising Marketing That Works). After acknowledging some good stuff about Nancy’s competition, Chuck says:

“I think the contest raises some troubling questions.

“The video proclaims the tagline to be a “vital marketing tool” and that a “smart tagline is a powerful tool for connecting with your base.” Not only am I not buying it, I think it sends the wrong message to nonprofits. The vital marketing tool is the strategic plan from which a tagline emanates. A well-crafted and implemented plan with a lousy tagline will have better results than the converse any day. Amongst the tools that a nonprofit can use to connect with its base, a tagline is probably one of the least effective.

“The awards are distributed without knowing anything about how well they represent the mission, goals or stakeholders of an organization. The winner in the Fundraising category – Oregon Zoo’s “Bring Back the Roar” is smart but is it anything more than that? How did it fit into a broader plan? How did it relate to the target market? How did it contribute to results? On top of that a visit to the Zoo’s website shows no vestige of the tagline. So, while it may have been an award winner it clearly wasn’t a keeper (no pun intended).

“The video also declares that a tagline will allow you to “build your brand in 8 words or less.” Brands are not built on 8 word taglines. They are built on thoughtfully considering and developing the relationship that your stakeholders have with your organization. There are many successful brands that – believe it or not – have no tagline …

“Too many organizations already want to skip the strategic steps that will lead to effective marketing. They just want the good-looking logo, the pithy headline and maybe now the award-winning tagline. Ultimately, I worry that the Taggies celebrate the end while ignoring the means.”

My reaction?

I can’t really disagree with Chuck’s concerns. And as a savvy marketer, I suspect Nancy will not either.

That said, I like what she does with her tagline contest because I do see a well-conceived tagline (on the strategic basis Chuck recommends) as a very important ‘introduction’ to the nonprofit … an intro that if flubbed, many would-be friends will never get beyond.

So what I ask of a tagline is that it be: 1) suggestive/inviting (but not so obscure or ‘clever’ that it provides no clue!), and 2) true to the brand … which of course the consumer/donor can only validate (or not) as a step 2 in the “get to know you” process).

Further, as someone who has participated in numerous nonprofit branding exercises, I’d note that going through the process — in a disciplined manner — of trying to reduce your organization’s raison d’etre to a handful of words, that also differentiate, can an excellent way to force strategic marketing issues to the surface that might otherwise be taken for granted or left unexamined.

I realize that Chuck would like — more rationally — to start explicitly with strategy, but sometimes a back door in is useful!

Tom