Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Tagline For An Arch/eng/construction Int'l Firm

Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 10:35 AM ET 500 Points
We are trying to come up with a professional tagline that would describe our company easily. We offer architectural, engineering and construction services on a international basis (80% US, 20% Intl). Our differeniator is client service (internal and external), innovative solutions that drive overall project costs down (provide value vs. cheap solutions). Commercial and industrial projects. Some ideas we are kicking around are:
o Happy Clients. Happy Staff.
o Great service. Outside and In.
o We start above and go beyond.
o Your business is our business.
o Where extra effort isn’t an extra.
o Don’t start without us.
o Service redefined.
Do any of these work? Any other ideas?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 12/9/2008 at 11:05 AM Accepted
    Out of the above, I like "your business is our business".

    I'd caution you for using "great service" as a differentiator. Clients expect great service, and if you polled most businesses, they'd all claim to give great service.

    I do think you are onto something when you talk value engineering -- but not cheap. However none of your suggestions really tell what you do-- which is offer "creative sustainable value driven solutions for the built environment". Now that isn't catchy and it doesn't roll off your tongue, but it does say what you do.

  • Posted by lstevens on 12/9/2008 at 11:11 AM Member
    How about these:
    "Building Solid Client Relationships"
    "Building Your Business"
    "Customer Service is our Foundation"
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 11:24 AM Author
    I should add that client service for both internal and external clients is a driving force within our company. We measure and report on it constantly. I understand "service" as a differeniator is too predictable, but it really is with us. Nearly an obsession. It's also one of the reasons we've been consistently awarded "best firms to work for" "best employer" etc.
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 11:27 AM Author
    These are others we kicked around....any stick or resonate?

    Uncommon ability. Unexpected service.
    Reach higher. Stand on our shoulders.
    Talented. Trusted. Tested.
    Where extra effort is the only kind.
    We make you better.
    Experience the experience
    Delivering value daily.
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 12/9/2008 at 11:33 AM Member
    I hear and understand what you are saying. But consider this-- you and three firms are competing on a project-- and you state "service" is your differentiator. Which of your competitors will say "oh darn, they got us there, cause ours sucks."

    Your website has so much info on sustainability, innovative design in tough niches that few firms can understand the complexities of building and design. I work with the A/D community day in and out, and the top 5% or less can provide building solutions in these niches. Yet, none of your taglines pull from it. The suggestions are (in my opinion) too generic. They could be for any business. They could be for a candy store, or a clothing store. I really think you have so much more to pull from.
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 11:46 AM Author
    I do understand where you are coming from, but that's where we are stuck. Any suggestions of tags that are stronger?
  • Posted on 12/9/2008 at 11:53 AM Accepted
    Sounds like your "foundation" is serving your customers' best interests. (yuck yuck)

    taglines to me don't need to tout benefits, often times; the best don’t.

    “Just do it”
    “don’t leave home without it”
    “Snap. Crackle. Pop”

    What’s the single most important image or impression you want to communicate? To Carol’s point, is it service? - Maybe, maybe not.

    If I was to hire your company (or any professional services company), here’s the ranking of what would be most important to me in a first impression:

    1) Competent (or Trusted/Great reputation)
    2) Professional (Look and feel, I feel my project would receive the attention I believe it deserves)
    3) Creative (Intuitive of my initial expectations, offers options, out of the box thinking)
    4) Affordable (willing to work towards my budget)

    Notice pricing is at the bottom. Why? IT’S TOO IMOPORTANT TO CHEAP OUT ON!

    Pick a feeling you want to inspire in a customer, related to one of those 4 (or another), that you’d like to display as a first impression.

    Innovation is our strength, Service is our foundation.
    The expertise you need - The service you demand.
    Trusted partners in building visions


    Hope this helps…
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 12/9/2008 at 12:04 PM Accepted
    Tdolan is right. I deal with claims all day long due to value engineering gone wrong. In just flooring related moisture issues its a billion dollar problem.

    If you want to include service (and you do have something to talk about) how about

    We're Passionate About the Built Environment.
    We Love What We Build
    Trust us with Your Tough Environments

    I also like "Building Your Business" -- cause that is what you do. I'm also trying to tweak, "creative sustainable value driven solutions for the built environment". Neither one is a benefit, but it is what you do.

    And I am struggling to come up with a better version of
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 12:12 PM Author
    Part of our delivery promise is TOTAL ADDED VALUE. We measure how a client defines success at the beginning of every project and measure their satisfaction and our performance frequently throughout. How a client perceives value is different with every project...faster, award-winning design, quality, under budget, or any many other hot buttons. Many of our competitors have the "building your success" "building innovative solutions" plays off of designing your future, and building success...it all drives me nuts and sounds the same! HELP!
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 12:28 PM Author
    Also, we are looking for a tagline...not a descriptor necessarily. Emotion-evoking...image making...
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 12:32 PM Author
    To tdolan's point: "What’s the single most important image or impression you want to communicate? To Carol’s point, is it service? - Maybe, maybe not." Our single most important impression in superior service. period.

    This is why we struggle. I realize everyone says "good service is an expectation" believe me - I'm poking holes in all of it. And that most of these don't describe what we do...I don' t know that that matters as much as I want the personality of the firm to resonate and to describe quicikly what we value and what we are about. People that work with us know what we do...I don't need to explain we design buildings and processes. I want them to know that we will make their lives easier and make them successful by understanding what will make them money and what is important to them. Does that makes sense?
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 12/9/2008 at 12:33 PM Member
    Sparker-- I did not say anywhere that a tagline would influence a bid. The poster states it is a differentiator. That is where I think she should drill deeper. In a negotiation situation you most certainly do hit on all your differentiators. They are the reason you are chosen over the others.
  • Posted on 12/9/2008 at 1:54 PM Accepted
    cmalicki,

    Can you expand on this: "we will make their lives easier and make them successful by understanding what will make them money"

    That's obviously the point you want to drive. how is this accomplished?
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/9/2008 at 2:08 PM Author
    It would probably help if I started using complete sentences and hung up the phone while typing... sure.

    Perhaps a little background would help. We have 85% of our work is from repeat clients. We have doubled in size in 3.5 yrs. Most of our top clients are Fortune 100-500....yet we are still a fairly small firm (1000 people). We compete (and win) against huge firms more frequently than ever. What sets us apart is our service. That's what we know. Our clients tell us this consistently. Because of our repeat work, we are more familiar with client facilities, and approaches, what their hot buttons are and how to navigate their systems. We also bring a unique perspective because we are industry-focused as well so we can use implement best practices within an industry (for instance food processes) and leverage across that industry, as well as use those skills and knowledge to develop new approaches to say alternative energy processes. We don't deliver standard cookie cutter solutions.

    As mentioned earlier, we try to understand at the onset of every engagement how the client will evaluate success at the project's end. What does success look like to him/her? We start with success and then build in ways, reward staff, etc. on over-delivering - deliver the WOW as we sometimes say. Our client satisfaction surveys capture that information, and our employees are evaluated against those metrics.

    We also survey internally to make sure internal client service is also experiencing the WOW FACTOR. We are a metrics/performance based compensation company, and share the wealth with our staff. That helps with our 95% emp retention rate too.

    Above and beyond expectations is what we strive for. Delivering the WOW. Knowing their business. It's like a workout. It will take 3 sets of 10 to get the results you want...we do 4 sets of 15...and then a few extra for good measure.

    Does that help? I just can't find a way to capture that passion where it DOES make us sound different, and not marketing "hooba dooba."
  • Posted by simon.gloster on 12/9/2008 at 5:49 PM Member
    Hi

    What I get from you is engineering/construction, innovation and relationships with clients.

    "together we build for tomorrow"

    -has all the above, together with your client, building and tomorrow-meaning a future with us.

    Anyway thats my thought.

    Regards

    S
  • Posted on 12/9/2008 at 7:30 PM Accepted
    So from what I gather; "Service" is far more than a smile and prompt responses.

    It’s the consultative approach, results orientated process, and the closed loop feed back that you’ve worked so hard to employ.

    Your clients may be compartmentalizing all this into the term “Service” -which would make sense to both of you. To Carol and I, it read something very different. e.g. I can get good “service” at Dunkin Donuts.

    To me, your clients seem to be buying the relationship as much as your services. Your tagline needs to communicate, at least some of, the steps that you’ve laid to: understand their line of business and unique challenges therein, define success and incent towards it, and maintain accountability.

    Here’s a few I came up with, but hopefully we’re getting closer to being on your same page:

    You centric:
    “Overachieving is our starting point”
    “Surpassing expectations since 19xx”

    Customer centric
    “You define success, we’ll do the rest”
    “Understanding your business, engineers your success”

    Neutral
    “Results are just the beginning”
    “Successful Projects, Exceptional Relationships”


    -Terry
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 12/9/2008 at 9:05 PM Accepted
    Tdalan-- we often agree. While I dont have at this junction an answer to the response-- I am stewing and I will add. She states her clients understand at the onset of every engagement how the client will evaluate success at the project's end Let me suggest that means to her clients- they know she understands and interprets their needs. That is different than a blanket "we give good customer service". This is where-- posters, we need to drill.

    Its like peeling an onion and every contribution here helps her get closer ( i hope) to seeing it all very clear.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 12/10/2008 at 8:39 AM Member
    Some other ideas:
    * Great Service Isn't Enough. We Over-deliver.
    * Let Us Obsess About The Details.
    * Our Clients Are Our Evangelists.
    * No One Cares More About Your Project.
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/10/2008 at 8:44 AM Author
    Great ideas...and I agree...it is like peeling an onion. With the layers AND the tears! I appreciate everyone's ideas. We're getting closer...
  • Posted by lstevens on 12/10/2008 at 11:19 AM Member
    Keep in mind "tag lines" can have different functions. Are you aiming for a unique selling proposition (what makes you different from every one else) or a positioning line which is emotive of your brand identity? Define your goal and consider the media it will be communicated in before you decide on one.
  • Posted by cmalicki on 12/10/2008 at 5:50 PM Author
    Thank you for all of your help! It is truly appreciated!
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