What’s the difference and when are they used?

The positioning statement
From a management perspective, positioning is the heartbeat of an effective communications plan. A well-crafted positioning statement defines your company’s direction. It answers seven essential questions:

1) who you are
2) what business you’re in
3) for whom (what people do you serve)
4) what’s needed by the market you serve
5) against whom do you compete
6) what’s different about your business
7) what unique benefit is derived from your product or services?

Ultimately your creative communication experts can help with the positioning statement, lending advice as to what “rings” well but this is a task best initiated by management.

Creating a positioning statement is a lot like creating your company vision or welcoming statement. It’s an opportunity to deconstruct the work you do and then sum it up in as concise a fashion as possible.

The Tag Line
In short (because tag lines are short), a tagline is simply a short set of words that companies use to associate with their company or brand… it’s like a quick summary of the advertising campaign that you are undertaking. It’s the essence. So the best way to start to create one is to first figure out what segment(s) of the market you’re going after, based on what these segments really care about, determine your positioning statement. Then, use the positioning statement as a launch pad for your tagline.

For example, BMW positions itself on performance and drivability. Therefore, it’s not surprising that its tagline is “the ultimate driving machine”.

Great tag lines are defined by great marketing. “Just do it” is sublimely simple. Those three words carry with them considerable weight and meaning for many consumers. However would it have been as effective if such high-profile creative hadn’t backed it up?

Your tag is like a jingle. It needs to be “hooky” i.e. it has to catch and then stick. Short ‘n snappy keeps them happy. Keep it to one simple concept. Keep it concise, and make sure it rings.

Ultimately the tag line will more than likely form the essence of the campaign you are currently undertaking.

So there you have it. Positioning statement tells people who you are, while the tag line tells them what that means to them.