Is this the best tagline ever written?

It is, of course, absurd to say that any single tagline is the best ever written. After all, millions of slogans have been written, and there are no objective criteria by which we judge a tagline. We’re all entitled to our own opinions, as well.

But over the years, I’ve seen or heard thousands of advertising slogans, and through the lens of my copywriter’s eye, there is one tagline that stands above all others.

It’s only four words long, and one of the words is an article. But the four words work perfectly.

Tools of the COPYwriter's trade: fountain pen and dictionary

The line?

A diamond is forever.

What makes it so good? The line is very simple, yet filled with meaning. It literally means that a diamond can last for centuries. So this jewel can be a good investment.

Much more important is the line’s metaphoric meaning. It presents a diamond as a symbol of eternal love. By offering one of the most beautiful and indestructible objects on earth, a man or woman is promising love without end.

For many people, that’s the ultimate promise.

There is so much emotion packed into just a few words that the line is almost magical.

And what is most remarkable about the line is that it presents the product being sold, a diamond, as absolutely integral to the promise of undying love.

In addition to evoking an incredibly powerful emotional response, the line satisfies several other desirable tagline criteria.

The line is short, easy to say, easy to remember. The meaning is crystal clear—both the literal meaning and metaphoric meaning. There are no negative connotations.

The line is also unique and impossible to be duplicated by someone else. So it can be trademarked and protected.

Moreover, the line is incredibly flexible; it can work in any context. Since it’s a full sentence and names the product, it can stand on its own. But it also works in any kind of advertising.

The slogan was created as part of a De Beers advertising campaign in 1947, and I believe it has appeared in every one of the company’s engagement ring ads since 1948.

A female N.W. Ayer copywriter named Frances Gerety wrote the line. From 1943 to 1970, Ms. Gerety wrote virtually all of the copy for De Beers advertising. She passed away in 1999, two weeks after Advertising Age called “A diamond is forever.” the slogan of the twentieth century.

All in all, “A diamond is forever.” is as close to a perfect tagline as you’ll ever see.

It’s flawless.

How To Get To Simple

A brand is, at its center, a promise.

In exchange for buying the brand, or buying into the brand, you receive what the brand promises.

Advertising is only part of the branding process. But for many brands, it’s a critically important part.

tools of the COPYwriter's trade: pencil and ruler

Promise also plays an important role in advertising. In what is widely regarded as the first article ever written about advertising, Samuel Johnson said, “Promise, large Promise, is the soul of an Advertisement.” (Idler Magazine, January 20, 1759)

The point?

Both branding and advertising are all about focus.

So focus on your brand promise.

Make sure it's true and believable. Make sure your organization can deliver on it. Say it so anyone can get it. Say it so it stands out from the competition. 

Then run with it in all of your ads and branding signals.

That's one powerful way you can get to simple.

On the Challenge

tools of the COPYwriter's trade: Ballpoint pen and pencil

Advertising is unlike most forms of communication in one significant way. When you create an ad, you have to anticipate that readers and viewers assume they don’t want your message.

So the first goal of any ad is to coax people into paying attention. 

You can accomplish this goal in two ways: First, by offering something of value, something people want—product information, for instance.

And second, by communicating in such an immediate, interesting, compelling and creative way that people willingly pay attention.

This last point. That's the challenge.

On what a brand is. And what a brand is not.

tools of the COPYwriter's trade: Pencil and pencil sharpener

These days, you hear the word “brand” used a lot of different ways.

Some people think a brand refers to a company. Others think a brand is the company’s product or service. And still others think you have a brand when you have a logo, tagline or package.

All of those things—company, product, service and branding signals—are clearly related to a brand, but they don’t quite hit the mark.

That’s because a brand isn’t a physical thing. It’s nothing you can touch. Or see. Or hear. Or taste. Or smell.

A brand exists in your mind.

It’s a group of mental associations, expectations and emotions. Together, they add up to a promise. And that promise connects a company or product or service to a consumer.

With a strong brand, thousands or millions of people believe in the same promise, and completely trust that the brand promise will be fulfilled.

On What Branding Is All About

tools of the COPYwriter's trade: apple iphones

In my last entry, I stated that I believe a brand exists solely in the mind.

That’s not a new idea, yet my guess is that a lot of people—especially people in business—are uncomfortable with the notion.

After all, if a brand has no physical reality and exists only in someone’s mind, the organization charged with building the brand has no real control over the brand.

People can think whatever they want. And if they choose to ignore or dislike a brand, they’re free to do that.

But given the right stimuli, they’re also free to think highly of a brand.

Creating the right stimuli is what branding is all about.

From advertising to social media, from packaging to logo design, from website to call center, every customer touchpoint should build toward a continuum of carefully aligned brand experiences.

Taken together, those experiences can form a cluster of positive associations in the customer’s mind.

If you’re a brander, you need a well-defined promise that’s relevant to a target market and that’s different from everything else out there.

Armed with that, you can create a set of associations and expectations in the mind of the consumer that truly brings the brand to life.

You can’t control a brand any more than you can control a mind. However, you can guide and influence it. If you do that consistently and well, you’ll have a powerful brand.

What's the Difference?

Read practically any book on marketing and you’ll see a discussion about the importance of a brand’s relevant differentiation.

tools of the COPYwriter's trade: laptops

The common wisdom is that a successful brand is different from its competition in some way, and that the difference is important to the brand’s customers.

All well and good.

If your brand has a genuine difference, by all means use it, especially if the difference is hard for the competition to steal.

The problem is, most brands don’t really have big differences. Novelties get old and features are easily imitated. And usually, several brands in any given category perform pretty well. So for the most part, we live in a parity world.

But for a brand to be seen as unique, you don’t need an actual point of difference. You need a perceived point of difference.

Branding is largely a matter of perception. 

And while you can't control anyone's perceptions, you can help craft and influence them.

Now, I don't want to suggest inauthenticity here. The best brands grow directly out of a company's authentic values and vision.

For example, you can develop a personality for your brand that represents your company's DNA. 

That would be, by its very nature, a point of difference. Unlike many features, you can trademark and legally protect your brand’s personality. And if your competition attempts to imitate it, many people will give credit to the original brand.

Yours.

So you win no matter what.

Getting-To-Simple Works. Here's Proof.

Interbrand Rank No. 1, Value 170,276 $m

Every day, you and I and everyone else living in our modern age are faced with a tsunami of information coming at us.

In the marketplace alone, we’re all confronted with a bewildering number of choices to evaluate, often among me-too products and similar services.

Interbrand Rank No. 2, Value 120,314 $m

The average U.S. supermarket, for example, carries nearly 44,000 items, each one clamoring to be purchased. (Source: Food Marketing Institute, 2013)

How do we cut through all the noise and clutter? One answer is that we use brands.

Brands simplify our lives.

You use brands as shortcuts. We all do. Once you try a brand and like it, you can go on happily buying that same brand without even looking at alternatives.

Interbrand Rank No. 3, Value 78,423 $m

But brands, by and large, don’t work if they’re complex and difficult to understand. Without a simple, clear, memorable image and promise, a brand will be ignored in the world’s increasingly crowded marketplace.

According to Interbrand, the global brand ranking company, the 15 most valuable brands in 2015 were Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Samsung, GE, McDonald’s, Amazon, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Disney, Intel, and Cisco.

Interbrand Rank No. 4, Value 67,670 $m

All of these brands are really megabrands, representing huge, incredibly complex companies with many sub-brands. But chances are, you have a simple, clearly defined image in mind for each megabrand, not to mention many of its products or services.

Interbrand Rank No. 5, Value 65,095 $m

Getting-to-simple simply works. 

Here are 200 of the Best Taglines Ever Written. Name the Brands That Go with Them.

I call them taglines.

They’re also known as tags, slogans, straplines, theme lines, end lines, brand lines, signature lines, claim lines, base lines, mottos, catch phrases, mantras, payoffs, war cries, and who knows what else.

Whatever you call them, I’ve collected a couple thousand over the years. Most are short, usually just a few words. And there is an elegant simplicity to almost all of them.

The goal of any tagline is to consistently say one key thing about a brand that makes the brand stand out.

It should capture the essence of the brand’s promise or personality or positioning. At the least, it should suggest that there is something different and better about what a company, service or product offers you.

Many of the best taglines communicate why a brand exists in the first place. In effect, the tag says, if you get nothing else, get this key message because that’s what this brand is all about.

A tagline might be clever. It might include alliteration, rhyming, or a play on words. It might even be musical. (Some are both tags and jingles.) Above all, it should be memorable.

But of the zillion taglines you’ve heard or seen in your lifetime, chances are, only a few dozen stick with you.

Below are 200 of my favorites taglines. They’re all classics listed in no particular order. They all have millions of dollars and years of marketing behind them. And many have become part of American popular culture.

See how many brand names you can associate with the lines. I've included a few logos to give you some clues.

You'll find a second list with both taglines and matching brand names at the end of this blog.

We try harder.
The ultimate driving machine.
Everything you wanted in a beer. And less.
Don’t leave home without it.
Think different.
Just do it.
The king of beers.
You’re in good hands with ___________.
It’s the real thing.
The happiest place on earth.
We bring good things to life.      
Tomorrow you can be anywhere.     

 

 

 

Every kiss begins with _____.
Because so much is riding on your tires.
99.44% pure.
It’s the water. And a lot more.
The breakfast of champions.
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Good to the last drop.
When it rains, it pours.
The uncola.

Let your fingers do the walking.
The few, the proud, the ___________.
Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
What happens here, stays here.
Every body needs _______.
Get a piece of the rock.
Be all that you can be.
You are now free to move about the country.
Where do you want to go today?
If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer.
His master’s voice.
For those who think young.
See the USA in your _____________.
It’s not a job. It’s an adventure. 

Snap! Crackle! Pop!
The antidote for civilization.
Engineered like no other car in the world.
You deserve a break today.
Does she….or doesn’t she?
It’s _________ time.
This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.
Look, Ma, no cavities.
Fly the friendly skies.
Like a good neighbor, ________ _______ is there.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
We’re looking for a few good men.
Reach out and touch someone.
I coulda had a _____.
Is it live or is it ____________?
All the news that’s fit to print. 
There’s always room for ___________.           
The quality goes in before the name goes on.
Where’s the beef?                       
____________ tastes good like a cigarette should.
We will sell no wine before its time.
57 Varieties.
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.

Think small.
Ask the man who owns one.
You’ve come a long way, baby.
Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven.
Put a tiger in your tank.
Betcha can’t eat just one.
I’d walk a mile for a ______.

Stronger than dirt.
A little dab’ll do ya.
The toughest job you’ll ever love.
I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.
The best tires in the world have _____________ written all over them.
The beer that made Milwaukee famous.
I liked it so much, I bought the company.
For fast, fast, fast relief.
________ puts you in the driver’s seat.
Have a ______ and a smile.

It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.
__________ gets the red out.
Better living through chemistry.
When you care enough to send the very best.
The taste of a new generation.
From the land of sky-blue waters.
Pardon me, do you have any ______ ________?
Tastes so good cats ask for it by name.
The quicker picker-upper.
I love ____ _____.
Tastes great, less filling.
The pause that refreshes.
How do you spell relief? __________. 

 

 

 

 

 

_________ ______ is bullish on America            .
Like a rock.
The best part of waking up is __________in your cup.
The champagne of bottled beer.
What’s in your wallet?
Leave the driving to us.
Australian for beer.
If I’ve only one life, let me live it as a blonde.
Nothing runs like a _________.
Every kiss begins with _______.
Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is.
________ inside.           
I’d rather fight than switch.

Kid tested. Mother approved.
When you’re out of __________, you’re out of beer.
Solutions for a small planet.
They’re g-r-r-r-eat!
Have it your way.
It keeps going and going and going.           
With a name like _____________, it has to be good.
Say it with flowers.
I want my __________.
I want my ______.

 

 

 

Got milk?
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else there’s __________.
Hey, Mikey…He likes it!
Our repairmen are the loneliest in the world.
When ____ __________ talks, people listen.
Nothing comes between me and my __________.
Finger-lickin’ good.
Aren’t you glad you use _____. Don’t you wish everybody did?
Imagination at work.           
Come to ______________ Country.
Nothing sucks like an _____________.
For life.
Member FDIC and the Human Race.
Fill it to the rim with _______.
The best a man can get.

The nighttime sniffling sneezing coughing aching stuffy-head fever so you can rest medicine.
M’m! M’m! Good.
Sorry, Charlie. _________ wants tuna that tastes good, not tuna with good taste.
When you say ______________, you’ve said it all.
Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s _______________.
It’s everywhere you want to be.
Up, up and away.
Don’t dream it. Drive it.
Free enterprise with every issue.
You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with ____________.
Between love and madness lies _______________.
We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it.

Live in your world, play in ours.
Come alive! You’re in the _________ generation.
What becomes a legend most?
Taste. Not waist.
We answer to a higher authority.
Pleasing people the world over.
It’s a good time for the great taste of ____________.
Why fool around with anyone else?
How refreshing. How _____________.
You’ll love the way we fly.
Think.
Everything you hear is true.
It’s not a room. It’s a residence.

American by birth. Rebel by choice.
Don’t just book it. __________ _______ it.
There is no substitute.
Reap the rewards of _________.
Don’t be vague. Ask for ________.
Born in the Rockies.
Impossible is nothing.
Nothing fitz like a _____.
When you got it, flaunt it.
Quality never goes out of style.
Things go better with ________.
Beanz means ________.
Raise your hand if you’re sure.
At the heart of the image.
The greatest tragedy is indifference.
I’m lovin’ it.
Own a _________ at a price of a car.
Success. It’s a mind game.

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t.
Because I’m worth it.
You don’t have to be Jewish to love ________.
My goodness, my ____________!
Eat Mor Chikin!
Capitalist tool.
Because the ______ never sleeps.
Do you know me?
It’s not TV. It’s ______.
Can you hear me now?
_____________ is for lovers.
If you see something, say something.
You’ve got a lot to live, and ________ got a lot to give.
You can’t top the copper top.
Improving home improvement.
Think outside the bun.
We do it all for you.
A diamond is forever.

We'll leave the light on for you.
Soup is good food.
It's not just a package. It's your business.
A different kind of company. A different kind of car.
Advancing civilization daily.
The curiously strong mints.
If it's out there, it's in here.
Living brings it in. We take it out.
Find your beach.
The world on time.
The incredible edible _____. 

Now with brand names attached:

We try harder./Avis
The ultimate driving machine./BMW
Everything you wanted in a beer. And less./Miller Lite
Don’t leave home without it./American Express
Think different./Apple
Just do it./Nike
The king of beers./Budweiser
You’re in good hands with ___________./Allstate
It’s the real thing./Coca-Cola
The happiest place on earth./Disneyland
We bring good things to life./GE/General Electric
Tomorrow you can be anywhere./Boeing
Every kiss begins with Kay./Kay Jewelers
Because so much is riding on your tires./Michelin
99.44% pure./Ivory Soap
It’s the water. And a lot more./Olympia Beer
The breakfast of champions./Wheaties
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking./Timex
Good to the last drop./Maxwell House Coffee
When it rains, it pours./Morton’s Salt
The uncola./7-Up
Let your fingers do the walking./The Yellow Pages
The few, the proud, the ___________./Marines
Friends don’t let friends drive drunk./U.S. Dept. of Transportation
What happens here, stays here./Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Every body needs _______./Milk (California Milk Producers)
Get a piece of the rock./Prudential
Be all that you can be./U.S. Army
You are now free to move about the country./Southwest Airlines
Where do you want to go today?/Microsoft
If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer./Miller Beer
His master’s voice./Victor Talking Machine Co.
For those who think young./Pepsi
See the USA in your _____________./Chevrolet
It’s not a job. It’s an adventure./U.S. Navy
Snap! Crackle! Pop!/Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
The antidote for civilization./ClubMed
Engineered like no other car in the world./Mercedes-Benz
You deserve a break today./McDonald’s
Does she…or doesn’t she?/Clairol
It’s _________ time./Miller (Beer)
This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs./Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Look, Ma, no cavities./Crest Toothpaste
Fly the friendly skies./United Airlines
Like a good neighbor, ________ _______ is there./State Farm
The mind is a terrible thing to waste./United Negro College Fund
We’re looking for a few good men./U.S. Marines
Reach out and touch someone./AT&T
I coulda had a _____./V-8
Is it live or is it ____________?/Memorex
All the news that’s fit to print./The New York Times
There’s always room for ___________./Jell-O
The quality goes in before the name goes on./Zenith
Where’s the beef?/Wendy’s                       
____________ tastes good like a cigarette should./Winston
We will sell no wine before its time./Paul Masson
57 Varieties./Heinz
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands./M&Ms Candy
Think small./Volkswagon
Ask the man who owns one./Packard
You’ve come a long way, baby./Virginia Slims Cigarettes
Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven./Pillsbury
Put a tiger in your tank./Esso/Exxon
Betcha can’t eat just one./Lay’s Potato Chips
I’d walk a mile for a camel./Camel Cigarettes
Stronger than dirt./Ajax
A little dab’ll do ya./Brylcreem
The toughest job you’ll ever love./U.S. Peace Corps
I can’t believe I ate the whole thing./Alka-Seltzer
The best tires in the world have _____________ written all over them./Goodyear
The beer that made Milwaukee famous./Schlitz
I liked it so much, I bought the company./Remington
For fast, fast, fast relief./Anacin
________ puts you in the driver’s seat./Hertz
Have a ______ and a smile./Coke
It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken./Perdue Chicken
__________ gets the red out./Visine
Better living through chemistry./DuPont
When you care enough to send the very best./Hallmark
The taste of a new generation./Pepsi
From the land of sky-blue waters./Hamm’s Beer
Pardon me, do you have any ______ ________?/Grey Poupon
Tastes so good cats ask for it by name./Meow Mix
The quicker picker-upper./Bounty
I love ____ _____./New York (State Division of Tourism)
Tastes great, less filling./Miller Lite
The pause that refreshes./Coca-Cola
How do you spell relief? __________/R-O-L-A-I-D-S (Rolaids)
_________ ______ is bullish on America./Merrill-Lynch
Like a rock./Chevy Trucks
The best part of waking up is __________in your cup./Folgers (Coffee)
The champagne of bottled beer./Miller High Life
What’s in your wallet?/Capital One
Leave the driving to us./Greyhound
Australian for beer./Fosters
If I’ve only one life, let me live it as a blonde./Clairol
Nothing runs like a _________./Deere (John Deere)
Every kiss begins with _______./Kay (Kay Jewelers)
Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is./Alka-Seltzer
________ inside./Intel
I’d rather fight than switch./Tareyton Cigarettes
Kid tested. Mother approved./Kix Cereal
When you’re out of __________, you’re out of beer./Schlitz
Solutions for a small planet./IBM
They’re g-r-r-r-eat!/Kellog’s Frosted Flakes
Have it your way./Burger King
It keeps going and going and going./Energizer Batteries
With a name like _____________, it has to be good./Smuckers
Say it with flowers./FTD
I want my __________./Maypo
I want my ______./MTV
Got milk?/California Milk Processor Board
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight./Federal Express
There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else there’s __________./MasterCard
Hey, Mikey…He likes it!/Life Cereal
Our repairmen are the loneliest in the world./Maytag Appliances
When ____ __________ talks, people listen./EF Hutton
Nothing comes between me and my __________./Calvins (Calvin Klein Jeans)
Finger-lickin’ good./Kentucky Fried Chicken/KFC
Aren’t you glad you use _____. Don’t you wish everybody did?/Dial (Soap)
Imagination at work./GE/General Electric
Come to ______________ Country./Marlboro
Nothing sucks like an _____________./Electrolux
For life./Volvo
Member FDIC and the Human Race./Peoples National Bank of Washington
Fill it to the rim with _______./Brim
The best a man can get./Gillette
The nighttime sniffling sneezing coughing aching stuffy-head fever so you can rest medicine./NyQuil
M’m! M’m! Good./Campbell’s Soup
Sorry, Charlie. _________ wants tuna that tastes good, not tuna with good taste./Starkist
When you say ______________, you’ve said it all./Budweiser
Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s _______________./Maybelline
It’s everywhere you want to be./VISA
Up, up and away./TWA
Don’t dream it. Drive it./Jaguar
Free enterprise with every issue./The Economist
You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with ____________./Pepsodent
Between love and madness lies _______________./Obsession (Calvin Klein’s Obsession)
We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it./Smith Barney
Live in your world, play in ours./Sony Playstation
Come alive! You’re in the _________ generation./Pepsi
What becomes a legend most?/Blackglama (Minks)
Taste. Not waist./Weight Watchers
We answer to a higher authority./Hebrew National
Pleasing people the world over./Holiday Inn
It’s a good time for the great taste of ____________./McDonald’s
Why fool around with anyone else?/FedEx
How refreshing. How _____________./Heineken
You’ll love the way we fly./Delta Airlines
Think./IBM
Everything you hear is true./Pioneer
It’s not a room. It’s a residence./Residence Inn Marriott
American by birth. Rebel by choice./Harley Davidson
Don’t just book it. __________ _______ it./Thomas Cook (Travel)
There is no substitute./Porsche
Reap the rewards of _________./Money (Magazine)
Don’t be vague. Ask for ________./Haig (Scotch Whisky)
Born in the Rockies./Coors Light
Impossible is nothing./Adidas
Nothing fitz like a _____./Ritz (Crackers)
When you got it, flaunt it./Braniff Airlines
Quality never goes out of style./Levi's
Beanz means ________./Heinz
Things go better with ________./Coke
Raise your hand if you’re sure./Sure Deodorant
At the heart of the image./Nikon
The greatest tragedy is indifference./Red Cross
I’m lovin’ it./McDonald’s
Own a _________ at a price of a car./Jaguar
Success. It’s a mind game./Tag Heuer
Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t./Peter Paul Mounds
Because I’m worth it./L’Oreal
You don’t have to be Jewish to love ________./Levy’s (Rye Bread)
My goodness, my ____________!/Guinness
Eat Mor Chikin!/Chick-fil-A
Capitalist tool./Forbes
Because the ______ never sleeps./Citi (Citibank)
Do you know me?/American Express
It’s not TV. It’s ______./HBO
Can you hear me now?/Verizon
_____________ is for lovers./Virginia (Tourism)
If you see something, say something./New York Metropolitan Transit Authority
You’ve got a lot to live, and ________ got a lot to give./Pepsi’s (Pepsi-Cola)
You can’t top the copper top./Duracell
Improving home improvement./Lowe’s
Think outside the bun./Taco Bell
We do it all for you./McDonald’s
A diamond is forever./De Beers
We'll leave the light on for you./Motel 6
Soup is good food./Campbell's
It's not just a package. It's your business./Federal Express
A different kind of company. A different kind of car./Saturn
Advancing civilization daily./Amtrak
The curiously strong mints./Altoids
If it's out there, it's in here./Nynex Yellow Pages
Living brings it in. We take it out./Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner
Find your beach./Corona Beer
The world on time./Federal Express
The incredible edible____.Egg/American Egg Board

Function to Feeling: A decades-long trend in branding. Part One

If you took a Psych 101 class in college, you undoubtedly spent some time studying Abraham Maslow.

He’s probably best known for his hierarchy of needs pyramid. It moves upward from a base of physiological needs through safety, love and belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization.

What’s fascinating is that there appears to be a long-term branding trend that moves roughly up a pyramid in the same fashion as Maslow's hierarchy.

Bear with me.

There are all kinds of ways to divide brands into categories. One way is to look at products and services. Another is to consider profit and non-profit organizations. Then there are business-to-consumer and business-to-business categories. The list is endless.

As an ad writer, I think the most useful way to divide brands is by the psychological benefits that people get from brands.

When you do that, there are, in my opinion, five basic categories of consumer brands.

I call them Utility, Empowerment, Belonging, Status, and Experience. (I’m only talking about B2C brands, not B2B. And I'm not claiming that every consumer brand in the world will fit into these five categories.)

The first, Utility, is largely based on rational decision-making. The other four are driven, at least in part, by emotion—by how they make you feel.

As we move up the pyramid, we’re going from What-It-Does-For-Me to How-It-Makes-Me-Feel. And I’d say, over the last several decades, marketers have been decidedly moving away from function and more toward feeling.

In this blog, let’s look at Utility and Empowerment brands. I’ll cover the other three categories in my next blog.

Level One: Utility Brands

This level is all about how a brand can help you physically improve your life. And it roughly corresponds to Maslow’s lowest level of satisfying needs.

You buy a hammer to drive a nail so you can fix a leaky roof. You get a $20 watch to tell time so you won’t be late to work. You pick up a small, inexpensive car to get from point A to point B.

In comparing competing Utility brands, the emphasis is on product features and benefits.

You ask rational questions: Will this product perform well? Will it help me get the job done? Will it hold up? What makes this better than competing brands? And, how does it compare in price?

Examples? There are millions.

Walk into practically any hardware store and you’ll see a rack of Stanley tools. They’re probably not the world’s best tools, but they perform pretty well at a decent price. So instead of standing there forever evaluating every choice, you can simply buy the Stanley tools you need and count on them to measure up.

Or go shopping at any drugstore. You’ll find hundreds of toothbrushes. You’re looking for clean teeth and healthy gums, and all of the brushes will probably perform well. But chances are, you’ll gravitate to a name brand such as Colgate, Crest or Oral-B.

For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, Utility brands received most of marketers’ attention. And money.

There will always be a place for Utility brands. But I suggest that if marketers can position brands further up the pyramid, they will.

Level Two: Empowerment Brands

An Empowerment brand is an extension of Utility.

In effect, you’re using the brand to extend your power; you’re multiplying your ability to do something.

But what is critical is that you feel the empowerment. And for certain people, that feeling defines the brand.

You buy a saw to cut wood, but you buy a Stihl chainsaw to feel the power as you rapidly cut through an entire tree.

You buy a motorboat to move through the water, but you buy a Cigarette speedboat for the thrill of flying over the ocean. Something similar could be said for sport or muscle cars.

On the negative side, you have pepper spray in your purse or a small handgun in your nightstand for protection. Going further, you carry a Glock or .357 Magnum, not just for protection, but for the feeling of power you get when you can project deadly force.

There are also brands that help you stay powerful. Think of insurance, for example. You buy it to protect yourself and your family from some calamity. So in effect, you’re preserving your current power. And the peace of mind you get feels good.

In comparing competing products, the rational emphasis is on how the product will help you perform; the emotional emphasis is on how powerful the product will make you feel.

And this feeling of empowerment might well be more important than any rational consideration of product features and benefits.

Function to Feeling: A decades-long trend in branding. Part Two

In my last blog, I said that I believe there are five categories of consumer brands, and that those brands roughly run parallel to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Let’s look at Belonging, Status and Experience brand types.

Level Three: Belonging Brands

Belonging brands represent groups of people that you aspire to or appreciate being part of. This level of brand very loosely fits into Maslow’s third pyramid level.

By simply buying a brand—or buying into it—you immediately become a member of a tribe. Maybe not a full-fledged member, but a member.

People who buy Harley-Davidson motorcycles aren’t just buying two-wheel transportation. They’re buying into an attitude, a culture, a way of life. They’re saying, “I like my freedom. I like the open road. I’m at least a little rebellious. I belong with these people.”

Ralph Lauren has created a whole lifestyle around his Polo fashion line. You may not be part of the wealthy English landowner class. But by owning and wearing anything Polo, you attach yourself to that lifestyle.

Kids who wear Nike shoes and apparel aspire to be like professional athletes. They may never be great athletic performers, but by merely buying and proudly wearing Nike products, they can share the feeling of what it might be like to be a star.

Level Four: Status Brands

A Status brand sends a message.

You buy a Status brand to make a statement about yourself.

Loosely fitting into Maslow’s fourth level up the pyramid, a Status brand is about self-esteem and having the respect of others. Human beings are social by nature, and we care about what others think. If people think well of us, we feel good about that. Many people think they can gain the respect they want by simply buying Status brands.

When choosing a Status brand, rational questions about what the brand can do for you hardly matter. The overriding question is, “What does this brand say about me?”

In effect, you wear the brand as a badge or symbol. It's a way to instantly communicate how well you’re doing, and where you stand in relation to others.

A $10,000 Rolex certainly tells time. But a lot of less expensive watches tell time at least as well. You buy a Rolex to communicate that you’ve got it made.

A Ferrari, Rolls Royce or Aston Martin will definitely get you from point A to point B. But you buy the car because it says that you’re wealthy, in control of your life, and that you value the finer things in life.

A Michael Kors handbag is clearly functional. However, a woman doesn’t buy it for function alone. She buys it because of what it says about her sense of fashion, taste, and status. It’s not even subtle. The name is prominently displayed on the outside of the purse for everyone to see. 

Level Five: Experience Brands

You buy an Experience brand in order to enrich your life, to explore life’s meaning, to expand life’s possibilities, to see the world in new ways.

By spending thousands to climb a mountain in Tibet, you’re challenging yourself; you’re pushing yourself to the limit. And when you’re successful, you literally feel on top of the world.

By taking a child to her first ballet and seeing the delight in her face as she sees Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty, you not only light up her life, you light up your own. And you’ll cherish those memories forever. 

Or, next time you’re in Paris, treat your husband or wife to a Michelin 3-Star meal. By going to an extraordinary restaurant, you’re buying an experience that promises to please all of your senses, and you know you’re both going to be treated extremely well. In addition, it might inspire you to start that cooking school or open that wine shop you've always dreamed of.

Overlapping Brand Levels.

Usually, any given brand is dominated by one brand category. But some brands show characteristics of several categories.

For example, some brands of shoes can be Utility, Belonging and Status brands at the same time.

Or take a high-end automobile such as a Bentley sports coupe. It will get you from point A to point B (Utility). It will make you feel like a master of the universe (Empowerment). It will put you in an elite group of car connoisseurs (Belonging). It will say you have it made financially (Status). And it will be a thrilling and memorable drive (Experience).

Let’s not claim too much for brands.

I don’t want to get carried away with comparisons to Maslow.

I’m not suggesting, for instance, that any brand has the power to help someone achieve peak experiences or profound levels of love, belonging, friendship, intimacy, understanding, harmony, achievement, or self-actualization.

Brands are much more superficial.

But there are some ways that brands parallel Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

And as brands have become more sophisticated over time, there has been a propensity to move up the pyramid.

Bottom line: We’re increasingly moving away from what brands mean in terms of function and toward how brands makes people feel.

How to Pronounce Luxury and Fashion Brand Names.

If you want to join their club, it helps to know a few names.

Have you ever paged through a high-end fashion magazine or luxury lifestyle magazine and come across brand names you didn’t know how to pronounce?

If you don’t speak French or Italian, chances are you can’t correctly say hundreds of luxury and fashion brand names.

Here are some names that come to mind. See how many you’re absolutely positive you know how to say correctly. No guesses allowed.

BADGLEY MISCHKA, BVLGARI, CHOPARD, DOLCE & GABBANA, GIVENCHY, HERMES, HERVE LEGER, JAEGER-LeCOULTRE, LANVIN, LOUIS VUITTON, MIU MIU, MOSCHINO, ROCHAS, TAG HEUER, VACHERON CONSTANTIN

I suspect that billions of people around the globe have no clue how to pronounce these luxury and haute couture names.

Assuming I’m correct, why is that? Why have companies intentionally created linguistic barriers between their brands and billions of people who could theoretically buy their goods?

It’s because unlike mass brands, luxury brands aren’t meant for everybody. Or even large segments of the public. They’re meant to be exclusive. In fact, if a luxury brand were to be seen as anything but highly exclusive, it would lose its appeal and no longer be considered a true luxury brand.

A luxury brand is a differentiated product that offers symbolic meaning. It makes a statement about your status and your sense of style. It exists in order to appeal to a very limited number of discerning customers.

And its name is an extremely powerful clue that a given luxury brand is only for those customers who are in the know, who are among the chosen, who are part of the club.

If you don’t know how to say a luxury brand’s name correctly, you are, by definition, not a member of the club.

So in effect, luxury companies use their brand names as one way to help screen and choose a highly selective clientele. If you’re the right kind of person with the right kind of knowledge and taste, and if you’re willing to pay an extraordinary amount of money, you receive the promise of belonging to a certain exclusive group.

And for many people, that appeal is irresistible.

For those of us who aren’t in the club, here’s how to pronounce the names above along with many others, 50 in all. Pronunciation suggestions came from several sources; my particular thanks go to Harper’s Bazaar UK (August 2013) and WatchTime Magazine.

A. LANGE & SOHNE
ah LAHN-guh und ZO-nuh

ANNA SUI
AN-na SWEE

AUDEMARS PIQUET
AWE-duh-mahr PEE-gay

BADGLEY MISCHKA
BADGE-lee MEESH-kah

BALENCIAGA
bah-len-see-AH-gah

BAUME & MERCIER                       
BOWM ay MURSE-ee-ay

BLANCPAIN
BLAHNK-pan

BOGLIOLI
BOH-lee-OH-lee

BOTTEGA VENETA
BOT-tay-ga VEN-etta

BREITLING
BRITE-ling

BREQUET
BREH-gay

BVLGARI
BUHL-guh-ree

CARTIER
CARR-tee-ay

CHOPARD
show-PAR

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
KREES-tyan LOO-boo-tan

COMME DES GARCONS
comb-day garr-SAWN

DE BETHUNE
deh bet-OON

DOLCE & GABBANA
DOLE-chay and guh-BAHN-uh

GIVENCHY
zjee-VON-shee

GLASHUTTE ORIGINAL
glass-HOO-tuh or-ig-in-AHL

Gucci
GOO-chee

HERMES
AIR-mez

HERVE LEGER
AIR-vay lay-ZHAY

HUBLOT
OOH-blow

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
shaff-HOWZ-in

JAEGER-LeCOULTRE
zhey-ZHER leh-KOOLT

JEAN DUNAND
ZHAHN due-NAHND

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
ZHON PAUL GOAT-yay

LANVIN
laun-VAHN OR lohn-VAUN

LONGINES
LAWNG-zheen

LOUIS VUITTON
LOO-wee vwee-TAHN

MAISON KITSUNE
MAY-sun kit-soo-NAY

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
MAY-sohn mar-TIN mar-JHEL-ah

MIANSAI
my-ahn-SIGH

MIU MIU
MEW MEW

MONTBLANC
MOHN-BLAHN OR MOHNT-BLAHNK

MOSCHINO
moe-SKEE-no

OLIVIER THEYSKENS
OH-liv-ee-ay TAY-skins

PATEK PHILIPPE
pah-TEK fill-EEP

PIAGET
pee-ah-ZHAY

PIERRE CARDIN
PEE-air car-DOHN

RICHARD MILLE
REE-shard MEEHL

ROCHAS
ro-SHOSS OR row-SHAHS

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
sal-vah-TOE-reh fair-a-GAH-moe           

TAG HEUER
TAG HOY-ur

ULYSSE NARDIN
you-LEESE nahr-DAN

VACHERON CONSTANTIN
VASH-er-ahn kon-stan-TAN

VERSACE
vur-SAH-chee OR ver-SAH-chay

WTAPS
DOUBLE TAPS

YVES SAINT LAURENT
EVE SAN lau-RON