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The December 1998 and January 1999 issues of the AORN Journal reported results from the name update surveys conducted during the summer of 1998.' One of the survey questions asked whether a descriptive phrase is required if the House of Delegates approves a name update. A descriptive phrase goes by many names, including tagline, motto, theme, or descriptor. Forty-five percent of the survey respondents indicated that, if approved, a name update requires a descriptive phrase, whereas 31% of respondents did not. Twenty-four percent of respondents were not sure.
Historically, there are two types of descriptors: those that work and those that do not. Perhaps the most famous tagline is "GE: We Bring Good Things to Life." Why does a tagline like this succeed for so many years? General Electric presents this message consistently and professionally.2 When effectively implemented, a theme creates an identity that summarizes the organization or its prime benefits.3 The longer an organization...