5 tips for creating an irresistible rallying cry
Our world is littered with taglines. They are a handful of words usually describing who the brand is or what it does. More often or not, they are just innocuous statements loitering underneath the logo.
It’s time to trade in your taglines for something that potentially holds the power to transform your organization. I’m talking about your rallying cry. Are you ready to craft something that takes advantage of that potential? Here are 5 tips to help get you there.
Figure out what you enable - here is an explanation from a post titled “Is your brand tagline a mic drop?” | We could protest, “They’re Nike and Apple. It’s easy for them.” Before we choose to hide behind that excuse, let's go look at all the other athletic shoe and computer manufacturers out there. Look at the forgettable statements loitering below their logo. What’s keeping them from capturing our imagination? Here is the secret. Those companies have to realize they are not in the footwear or computer business. They’re in the human potential business. That’s what Nike and Apple understood. Do you want to get to that elite state? Think about the business you’re in. Then think about those you hope to serve. Now rather than telling me what you do, tell me what you enable. Make it inspiring. Make it aspirational. Make it a mic drop.
Understand the power of a rallying cry - “A tagline sucks. A rallying cry rules” is a post that helps explain what a rallying cry can do. | I don't like the term 'tagline'. The word sounds like an afterthought. Like it is something you tack on to your brand. I prefer 'rallying cry'. That sounds bold and energizing. It sounds like something that will inspire us. Rallying cries invite us into the story. They tap into our aspirations. They charge us to become better. They do all this and more…A rallying cry creates the emotional shorthand that sticks in our heads and builds strong positive associations. Those are powerful elements that help a brand rise above competitors and help turn customers into advocates.
How to build a powerful rallying cry – in a post of the same name, we see what makes a rallying cry powerful. | There are two primary principles that guide the creation of a great rallying cry. We already introduced the first – it must have the ability to reach across all the groups of people you hope to engage. It must be meaningful and motivating to those inside your organization. Outside of your organization, it must be equally as meaningful and motivating to your customers, prospects, influencers, and all those that your brand touches. The second principle is that your rallying cry must connect on multiple levels. From a rational standpoint, it must point to the things that make your brand and purpose unique. From an emotional standpoint, the same rallying cry must be exceptionally meaningful, inspiring those you hope to serve.
The ingredients for a rallying cry - this is from the post, “A great rallying cry has these 5 things.” | As you develop yours (rallying cry), consider weighing your efforts against these 5 characteristics of a great rallying cry. 1) It’s strategically sound. 2) It is outward-facing. 3) It has layers. 4) It expresses something irresistible. 5) It works inside and outside.
The difference between a tagline and a rallying cry - in “We need fewer slogans and more rallying cries”, the difference has never been so clear. | A slogan informs. A rallying cry inspires…A rallying cry helps support how a brand becomes meaningful. It's less about the brand. And more about those the brand hopes to serve. That's why it is so irresistible to customers and prospects.
For more on developing your rallying cry, check out the book, Big Audacious Meaning – Unleashing Your Purpose-Driven Story.