Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Dear rags1345,

Stop. There are two vital elements here that you might want to consider and it's this: might you be attempting to do too much?

Your laundry list of services sounds great. However, might you be stretching yourself a little thin? Might it be better to focus more on fewer aspects of service? No one shop that claims to do it all does everything equally well and still makes money. Not even the big, multi national shops. They may CLAIM to do it all, but claims are one thing, results are quite another.

The second thing is this: catchy is not a selling strategy™ Trends come and go. Things that are hip and catchy now will be as dull as dishwater a year from now. Just think cargo pants. With me?

What background do you have that supports you in your list of activities above? Are you a one person shop? If not, who else can or will you call on to help out with the tasks you're not as sharp in as you'd like to be?

I'm asking all this because BEFORE you dive in to your business, you need to be SURE you can deliver.

You must know and accept your limitations, and you must be willing to turn business away when you know you cannot provide the result the client is looking for. Either this or you must know other people you can pass the work to, people you can rely on to deliver.

Ignoring this simple element is a recipe for disaster. Trust me on this. I've seen it happen. Admitting you cannot do something is NOT a weakness, it's a strength because it allows you to focus on what you ARE good at.

I've seen and worked with countless agencies with "catchy" names, all of which are run and staffed by highly talented and capable people, but people who, never the less simply don't get one of the keys of marketing: the outcome must—MUST—offer relevance for the client and significance for the client's client.
And sadly, no catchy name will ever do that.

I've even had one of these outfits (that was working for me, making me their client) tell me that my request for a colour change was, and I quote "Just going to ruin everything!" This was in a telephone conference call. Had the designer in question been in my office at that time, they'd have swiftly been shown the door because I, as the client, was not seeing the significance I was paying for.

If you're going to go ahead and offer all the services you outline in your question, simple state your name and the fact that you're a designer: Joe Smith: Graphic Designer, and let your work and client testimonials do the selling, not your ability to come up with a catchy name.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

"Branding & Visual Identity, Message Development, Communications Plans, Print, Outdoor, Broadcast, Interactive Media, Logos, Brochures, Annual Reports, Web Design, Flash Videos etc."

I would select a couple of the broader keywords from this list (website design development?) and do a google search to see who your competitors might be and how they are positioned. Look for the unfilled niche. Then claim a position RELATIVE to the competitive space.

good luck,

Steve