Let’s declare 2015 to be the end of the “Three one-word sentence” tag lines.

Particularly alliterative ones, like “Expertise. Excellence. Efficiency.” 

For both law firms and accounting firms, the most-overused three words in this category seem to be “Experience. Creativity. Results.”

This category of slogans is essentially an organization’s choosing to proclaim to everyone:

“I. Am. Awesome.”

A quick Google search yielded back-patting gems like:

Effective. Efficient. Expeditious.

Excellence. Efficiency. Expertise.

Excellent. Effective. Efficient.

Experience. Creativity. Results.

Experienced. Driven. Effective.

Experience. Creativity. Results.

Leadership. Creativity. Results.

(Wait, did I repeat one of them? Who knows? Who cares?)

(A few actual examples of these cropped from law firm websites are shown below.)

No one believes this type of empty bragging.  No client ever said, “I thought you overworked your cases and padded your bills until I saw the word ‘Efficient’ in your slogan.  Now I know I was wrong all along!”

First of all, does anyone actually believe that claiming “Results,” or “Creativity,” or “Experience,” proves that you offer it?

In fact, I’d suggest that the least-effective way to prove that you’re “Creative” is to simply declare it.

In fact, if you actually were Creative, you’d have a better tag line.

Admittedly, tag lines are hard. 

Encapsulating an entire complex organization or skilled professionals into a handful of unique words is a serious challenge.  I’m simply suggesting that unless your law firm has a powerful branding campaign and unique differentiator, it isn’t critical for you to have a tag line.

And if the best you can do is something really lame or braggy, just don’t do it.  No one will ever fail to hire you due to its absence.

I’ll rail against the two two-word-sentence tag lines later….

Like:

Legal Insight. Business Instinct.

Local presence. Global insight.

Local Expertise. International Depth.

Local knowledge. Global reach.

Business people. Business law.

First of all, does anyone actually believe that claiming “Results,” or “Creativity,” or “Experience,” proves that you offer it?

In fact, I’d suggest that the least-effective way to prove that you’re “Creative” is to simply declare it.

In fact, if you actually were Creative, you’d have a better tag line.

Admittedly, tag lines are hard. (Click here to read The 30 Best Law Firm Tag Lines Ever.)