Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Need A Tagline For A Senior Dog Sanctuary

Posted bymisszx9on2/28/2014 at 9:00 PM ET 250 Points
I am in the process of starting a senior dog sanctuary, and am slowly working on the business plan, financials, finding land, etc., etc. I found a name I want to use and am concurrently working on a logo.

The name is Senior Paws Dog Sanctuary
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RESPONSES

  • Posted byBlaine Wilkersonon3/1/2014 at 12:38 AM Member
    我建议,而不是由于缺乏想法,那t perhaps you dont need a tagline? A tagline is certainly not a requirement for a business. Especially when the business has a name that says it all, like yours. Companies with obscure names need taglines to remind people what they do. Your name is very clear, a little bit whimsical ("Senior Paws"), and illicits a postive emotion ("Sanctuary").

    A tagline is not likely to be the reason someone elects to utilize your service. Rather, how you communicate and deliver your services will. My take is that you need to spend your time and energy on determining who your customers are, developing a series of messages you want to convey, and crafting "mini-taglines" as headers/titles for each section.

    For example, on a website or brochure:

    You are not alone.

    Senior Paws understands how devastating it is to lose a family member. We are here to help you take care of the details so you can focus on your family.....etc, etc...

    A Peaceful Sanctuary for Your Loved One

    Your pet deserves the best resting place on Earth. Senior Paws surrounds your loved one with the best beauty and serenity nature has to offer. Trickling streams, songbird lullabies, lush flower gardens, and wise old shade trees provide the perfect environment for your pet. Etc, etc,etc.....


    This is very rough but I hope you catch my drift. Each selling point has its own "tagline".

    Also, focus on what makes you different...what sets you apart from other pet cemeteries? The land? The service? The price? The value? Atmosphere? Availability? Security?

    You should also know who you are marketing to. Upper middle-class? Celebrities and Uber Rich? Average income? Or combos of these? Tailor your message, service, value and prices to fit your audience(s), rather than "anyone with a dog".

    Think of unique ways to design your plots (or dont call them plots, use names found in nature for different levels of service like "groves", "brooks", etc). Personally, I would want a wooded area that has wandering paths and private/semi-private plots that look as natural as possible, versus a grid of econo-plots in an open field. But that is way off point...just wanted to show you an example of how to be different.

    If you still want taglines, let us know and we will shoot some your way. Good Luck!
  • Posted bymgoodmanon3/1/2014 at 7:53 AM Accepted
    Why do you want a tagline? What do you want it to do for you that the name doesn't do?

    Perhaps a tagline that deals with the emotional payoff (for the dog's current owner) would be in order.

    "Dog's Best Friend ... After You, Of Course."

    (The tagline may emerge as you work on the business and marketing plans. There's no need to rush the tagline. Getting the plans completed should be your top priority right now.)

    Question: Blaine seems to have the impression that the business is primarily a cemetery for dogs. Is that what you intend? Or is it a sanctuary -- a place for older dogs to live? (I've assumed the latter.)
  • Posted byJay Hamilton-Rothon3/1/2014 at 8:17 AM Accepted
    ...or is your business a rescue organization for older dogs, who can't otherwise find a loving home? If you're not wed to the name right now, perhaps you might want to tweak it so you convey the right first impression, and then use the tagline to help differentiate your organization from others in your region (where are you located)?
  • Posted bymisszx9on3/1/2014 at 8:49 AM Author
    hi all! thank you so much for your help!

    actually it is a senior dog "rescue" not a cemetery. it is for senior dogs who are very ill or are very hard to adopt because of their age and possible ailments, that's why it's a sanctuary. i've never heard of a sanctuary to be a cemetery, there are wildlife sanctuaries, elephant sanctuaries, etc. where the animals are free to do whatever they please without being bothered by high human traffic.

    我的位置会l be a place where the senior dog can live out her life peacefully, safely and with nothing but love. i volunteer with our local animal control, a shelter for big dogs and a rescue for pregnant and nursing dogs and abandoned puppies. i find that MOST people do not want a dog that is older than 10, say. a dog becomes a senior around the ages of 7-8 and depending on their size and breed, can have significant or non significant signs of deterioration and age. senior dogs are very overlooked at shelters, with most people giving the excuse of "they're going to die soon and i don't want to go through that". my take is who cares if they're going to die. they're still a living loving dog with a huge heart and just because they're old shouldn't mean that people don't want them. why let them live their lives out in a concrete "cell" with concrete floors and a cage door.

    does that help?
  • Posted byJay Hamilton-Rothon3/1/2014 at 9:41 AM Accepted
    Have you considered looking at other animal sanctuaries' taglines and simply adapting your favorite for dogs?
  • Posted byBlaine Wilkersonon3/1/2014 at 10:10 AM Accepted
    Well, my misperception could be from a couple of things:

    1. Lack of sleep
    2. Reading into the name too deep, looking for a unique way to say "cemetery"
    3. It says something subliminal about what I know happens to animals that go to "sanctuary" type places - they die, the species becomes extinct, and in some cases, the species begins to thrive.

    Probably a mix of all three! ;)

    Anyway, its my fault and I truly aplogize for misunderstanding.

    Now that Ive had some rest (and a little coffee), I'm ready to come at this again!

    Ok, a dog sanctuary, as in "a safe place for senior dogs to live out their lives". This is an even bigger undertaking (no pun intended)! Here in the US, stray dogs -either born on the streets, lost or abandoned- is a huge problem, even for shelters.

    While I commend your desire to help and your massive heart, Misszx9, how do you hope to fund a place for unwanted senior dogs, many with medical ailments that require medication, surgery,etc? Is your local government willing to provide funds for this versus euthanasia?

    I know my question isnt about taglines; however, it digresses to my previous tought that you have bigger fish to fry than a logo and tagline! Have you run the numbers from all the shelters in your state regarding how many senior dogs they have? Will they just give them to you, or will that reduce their numbers to the point that their funding gets reduced? Unfortunately, you may find a lot of shelters are reluctant to release these seniors. Why? Most receive grants from local governments and the ASPCA based on need. You may be facing quite an unexpected battle!

    Im sure that many shelters have tweaked their budget and resources to make unwanted animals work in their favor -perhaps more so than we think. Also, the ASPCA has pretty strict guidelines for shelters and sanctuaries. I'm not trying to discourage you; rather, Im trying to bring some more important hurdles into the limelight in an effort to support my original advice:

    I suspect you have more important concerns that trump tagline creation. Focus on who your customers are (who is paying the tab), how to reach out to them, and what you are going to say. In your case, you are likely to need an attorney and/or an experienced grant writer (seek out affordable grant writers in church organizations, youth homes, etc). Your customers are a complicated lot: Government, Animal Right/Protection Activists (mini-governments in their own right...with a LOT of power in today's world), and a slew of private corporate donations.

    Am I preaching to the choir here? Have you already covered these bases?

    或did I just slap some heavy reality on your venture?

    Here is a link to Petfinder.com. They specialize in animal adoption and have resources for people who want to build shelters and sancturaries.

    https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/starting-a-pet-adopti...

    Im watching this question, so I will know when you respond. Again, my apologies for the misinterpretation of your business!
  • Posted bymisszx9on3/1/2014 at 10:27 AM Author
    hi Blaine, i already am working on all these points :) i have to balance my work with the fun of design for this venture. if i'm all work, i get frustrated, to give myself a break i like to design (i'm a graphic designer). i am fully aware of all the work that will need to get done. like i said, i've been with 2 shelters and 1 rescue for 4 years.

    是的,我的避难所将他们版本的地方y well do to die peacefully. right now i'm thinking max 30 seniors, but again everything is relative to property size, staff, grants, etc. it will be local and it will be "no kill" unless the dog is in such bad shape, has no more quality of life left, has an illness that consumes the dog and she is in pain, etc. there will be no killing just for the sake of making space. euthanasia would only happen to assist the dog a peaceful way out of the suffering.

    i am already stocked with information on how to start, build, run, etc. sanctuaries. i do have everything handled :)

    like i said, i'm alternating with the pure fun of visual creations and intense work and studying. i'm not a newbie to starting brand spanking new ventures :)

    i've been researching, reading, been to the library, etc. for a few weeks now, so i need some light relief. because you thought my organization was a cemetery reinforces my desire for a tag line.

    also, if people do want to adopt my senior dogs, they can, but that is not the point for the sanctuary.
  • Posted byBlaine Wilkersonon3/1/2014 at 12:33 PM Accepted
    Misszx9,

    Kudos for doing your homework! Many of the folks who post questions here havent considered the more important aspects of their marketing (most do not consider marketing to be more than some flyers and a Yellow Pages listing)!

    OK, so you want to send the message that your business is not only a sanctuary for senior dogs, but also a place to adopt. Hmmm...

    - Hope Lives Here
    - For Life
    - Compassionate, Loving Care - for Life

    You could take a "Happy Endings" approach, as in a happy ending to a sad story/life. It is unfortunate that phrase has a sexual implication, but may be worth exploring.

    -Where there is Always a Happy Ending for Our Tails


    -Rescue. Love. Adopt

    -The Ultimate Rescue -Providing Quality of life for senior dogs

    - Dedicated to Hope, Healing, and Homes for Senior Dogs

    I'll post more later, but I hope these add value to the brainstorming.
  • Posted bymgoodmanon3/1/2014 at 12:34 PM Accepted
    So who is your primary target audience? What do you want them to think/do when they see the name and tagline? What key benefit do you want to communicate to them?
  • Posted bymisszx9on3/1/2014 at 1:10 PM Author
    basically that my sanctuary will be no kill safe place for senior dogs. target audience is very broad, people love dogs, so 20's through 80's. i know many people within that age range who love dogs and have rescue dogs instead of store bought.

    i want them to know that, again, it's a sanctuary for senior dogs and that someone cares enough to create a living area for senior dogs
  • Posted bymisszx9on3/1/2014 at 1:15 PM Author
    wow blaine, these are wonderful, simple. concise, to the point. i love them and can at least work with them.

    i am compiling a very detailed business plan which includes many, many points. i've done huge business plans before for two companies that i started with partners (who eventually bailed - of course) i have a lawyer for an uncle and usually run it by him.

    also, working in the marketing field for several years, i know it is very very important to do everything possible to get the word out there. i believe marketing budget should be about 50% of the money.

    since i am also a graphic designer, i've created several marketing collateral which has done very very well in the particular industry i did them for.

    trust me, i'm real good when it comes to detail, research, and i spend most of my time working on learning everything i can about every aspect that has to do with whatever company i am working on.
  • Posted bymisszx9on3/1/2014 at 1:17 PM Author
    blaine, i'm happy with everyone's responses, and if you would like to continue to give me tag lines, i'd welcome them, but you don't have to since i accepted you last very creative response!
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