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Topic: Taglines/Names

Could Writing A Theme Line Hurt More???

Posted by Anonymous on 8/21/2004 at 9:40 PM ET 250 Points
Though I'm usually designing our clients web sites, I've recently been charged with creating a theme for a clients national convention and I couldn't possibly be having a harder time doing it! Found this group and am hoping you can help... Here's a little background:
> The company sells home furnishings
> In attendance will be 3,000 of their employees from around the country.
> This theme line will be used as a graphic element throughout the venue; banners, staging, programs etc.
> The broad focus of the meeting is customer service
> This is a family owned business and has a long history of caring for and supporting their employees
> The goal of this meeting is to recommit the sales force to better connectivity with their customers and better connectivity with the corporate office
> They're looking for a strong, action oriented theme
> Here are some words and phrases I've heard about the goals for this convention (though current thought is that these are too cliche')
* Lead with your heart
* Service with heart
* Commitment
* Connection
* United
* Heartbeat
* Pulse

I guess the only other comment worth mentioning is that the company is run by the three grandaughters of the founder and therefore all of the internal and external communications have a very feminine feel to them.

Thanks for any help you can give me!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by darcy.moen on 8/22/2004 at 12:50 AM Member
    Are you looking for a mission statement? A Unique Selling Proposition? I'm going to assume that you want a short one liner that both staff and customers can rally around that best describes/encourages the business.

    I used to use a few different statements. Eventually (after 16 years), I settled on thsi phrase, because it conveyed my personal and corporate beliefs about my little dry cleaning shop to both staff and customers so effectively. Here is is:

    If you care about clothing, as much as I care about dry cleaning, We Should Talk.

    To my employees, this statement converyed my most sincere and severe attention to quality and detail. To my customers, it gave them a rallying point that they could identify with. Either way, it sold and accomplished.

    How to get to that point with your situation? I would brainstorm for two weeks straight. I would write down all the phrases that come to mind on a sheet of paper, and I would put them on a large sheet of paper on the wall. Work with marketing, work with sales, work with accounting, and get them to tell you what they think of each phrase. When you narrow the list down to three or four (and don't forget, you can combine the best bits from phrases to make new ones), then call 30 to 50 of your best customers. Ask them to describe your business to you, and list why they do business with you.

    Distill their list down to three or four phrases like you did with the internal list.

    Now, create a focus group comprised of ten staff, and 10 of your top customers. Work the list down to just one phrase.

    Then test, test test in your market place.

    If it holds up after two years, I'd say you have a keeper.

    Its not easy breaking your business down to just one simple statement, but it is possible. But Michael Gerber's book, the E myth, and read it. He has a process to find what your company does best.

    Or

    Bur "Get everything you can out of all the customers you have" by Jay Abraham. Read his chapter about USP's, and you'll have another great system to fiind your phrase.

    Good luck.

    Darcy (Customer Loyalty Network)
  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 8/22/2004 at 8:06 AM Member
    I feel your pain. Let's see if I can help. Here are a few function theme ideas off the top of my head:

    Family Reunion

    The Rock of Ages ("rock" meaning stability, and "ages" meaning time, not age - perhaps you can convey this graphically)

    Your home away from home.

    Thank You

    Trading Places

    You know what...this DOES hurt!! An action oriented theme for a home furnishing company with a femine appeal? Ouch. LOL.

    I'll keep thinking and post more later (after my headache dissipates).






  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 8/22/2004 at 8:16 PM Accepted
    I like the "heartbeat" theme... especially for the internal message to your team.

    Heartbeat connections
    Connecting in a heartbeat
    Move to the heartbeat
    Moving with the heartbeat
    Driven by the heartbeat

    ...and so on.
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