Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

The name of the clinic is Guadalupe Clinic, Inc.

We are just in the final stages of adding this ministry to the Diocesan Web site. So, any tag line would obviously be added to the web site. We would also probably want to add it to stationery, newsletters and other correspondence, etc.

Since we do initally ask for the $5.00 fee, I am wondering if it is proper to use the word FREE. No one is turned down for not paying the fee if they qualify as being uninsured and working or recently unemployed.

You can find an old web site at guadalupe clinic - Wichita

If you're trying to communicate "free," then I think I'd use the word so there's no misunderstanding. Obviously the $5 is a donation and won't make or break the business model for the clinic.

You have a problem with the name because "Guadalupe" doesn't say anything about what makes the clinic unique. At best it says "Hispanics welcome."

That places a heavy burden on the tagline. It has to tell the whole story, with no help from the name. Any chance you can call it "Guadalupe Free Clinic?" That would certainly help.

You might also consider who the tagline is for and what you want it to do for you. Is it for the prospective patients? If so, they're not likely to see your website, stationary or other correspondence, so it's not even clear why you want a tagline. If it's for insiders and Church hierarchy, you don't need to say anything about "free." They either know it already or don't care.

Which brings me to why you want/need a tagline and what it needs to communicate. Having that question answered will lead directly to the tagline.

a sincere thankf for your responses. They are appreciated. We are going to have to consider using the term "free" in our tag line for branding to separate us from the rest of the clinics that are not of our brand.

Guadalupe will have to remain. It is tied to our clinic location and also ties into our faith based roots. Guadalupe Clinic is well known in the community by our donors and volunteers. We are simply seeking to separate our brand of clinic from all the others in the community. We are the only "free" clinic within miles and only one of perhaps two or three in our state.

What we do, our success, and how we do it is very unique. In the eyes of the other clinics and those that don''t know about us, we are just simply a clinic, not unlike the rest.

Thanks again for your responses. We will continue with our efforts of planning and branding.

GUADALUPE CLINIC
Free medical care for the uninsured

It's too bad you have to give up the opportunity to position the clinic as offering GOOD medical care, but the thing that really distinguishes you is "free" so I'd go with that. If you try to do too much in the tagline, you'll actually end up with less. And I understand that you can't lean on the name to help with the communications task.

One last try, though:

GUADALUPE FREE CLINIC
First-rate medical care for the uninsured

Michael, thanks for the response. Unfortunately, we are not sure that many understand that our client base is totally the uninsured. We are viewed as being a clinic not unlike all the rest who charge, file for insurance and accept medicare, etc.

Our mission, we believe is clear. We just need a good tag line to separate us from the rest. There is a growing perception that we are in competition with the other "clinics." We do not seek to be in competition, we simply seek to serve the underserved uninsured who can and choose to come to us for their health needs and be served with dignity and compassion without fear of cost, red tape or being turned away. We are known as a first class clinic with very caring volunteer professionals who seek to serve and remain in compliance with all standards of providing health care.

Very helpful.

Thanks.