Graduate Alumni Spotlight
Annenberg School graduates are doing innovative, meaningful work around the world
– in academic and professional fields.
Eric Swartz, MAC ’77
President and Founder, Tagline Guru
Eric Swartz is a self-proclaimed branding strategist-cum-sloganeer. With a knack
for distilling messages in zippy, nine-syllable packages*, Mr. Swartz takes the
craft of slogan writing to a transcendent level, living up to his company’s name:
Tagline Guru.
“I help organizations express and extend the value of their brand through competitive
positioning, message alignment and short-form copywriting,” says Mr. Swartz, whose
clients span the country and the globe. “Over my career, I’ve created thousands
of brand concepts and expressions for companies, non-profits, municipalities, universities,
events, publications, and political campaigns. I like to refer to myself as a master
of the nine-syllable saga and the three-word novel.”
The successful wordsmith polished his writing skills and ability to think critically
while at Annenberg, receiving his Masters of Arts in Communication or, as he Mr.
Swartz puts it, “my passport to the world of communication.”
He began his career as a grants writer and fundraiser for the performing arts in
San Francisco before serving in senior marketing and communications management positions
at several companies, including Sprint, Ziff-Davis, and The Thomson Corporation.
“Some of my biggest challenges included merging and marketing product lines from
several acquired companies; editing and co-writing a 500+ page Online User’s Manual
for the Information Professional market; and managing my company’s presence at more
than 100 international conferences and trade shows.” In 1996, Mr. Swartz founded
his own communications agency, of which Tagline Guru and Great Destinotions are
divisions.
After an automobile accident put a damper on his tennis playing ten years ago, Mr.
Swartz spent most of his spare time immersed in acting. He has appeared in numerous
independent films and TV documentaries (including the History Channel and National
Geographic, to name a few) as well as corporate and web videos. The avid filmgoer,
who enjoys attending film festivals, is also the voice of the engineer in a series
of Lionel toy trains that will hit store shelves at the end of this year.
Mr. Swartz’s love of cinema and acting can be traced back to his studies at ASC,
where his focus was on film and visual communication and his master’s thesis examined
the critical process in film reviewing. He was also a teaching assistant for Amos
Vogel. “The courses I took from Ray Birdwhistell (Codes & Modes) and Barbara H.
Smith (Literary Theory & Criticism) were also extremely valuable,” he says.
With more than 30 years in the ‘biz’ with an A-list roster of clients, Mr. Swartz,
touted as ‘one part e.e. cummings, two parts Hemingway, and a dash of Ogden Nash
for good measure’ by one satisfied client, offers the following advice to ASC graduates:
“I know it may sound corny, but my advice is to follow your heart. Nothing is more
demoralizing than waking up every day to a job that you dislike intensely. Keep
your options open and acquire the multi-disciplinary skills that will help you get
the kind of career you really want.”
Mr. Swartz’s professional affiliations include the Business Marketing Association;
International Association of Business Communicators; American Marketing Association;
Burlingame Center for the Arts, Co-founder; and California Alumni Association, Life
member. Recreationally, he enjoys photography, genealogy, travel, and writing for
pleasure. Born in New York City, Mr. Swartz grew up in San Francisco and Burlingame,
California. He currently resides in San Mateo, California.
* A portfolio of slogans by Mr. Swartz can be found online at www.taglineguru.com. Some of his more lauded industry taglines
include:
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FedEx (Second Day/Saturday Delivery)
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Never on someday.
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FedEx (InterNetShip)
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The sound of one finger shipping.
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Tri-Valley, California
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Our roots are showing.
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American Express (Corporate Alliances)
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Reward. Recognize. Retain.
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Apple Computer (Power Mac)
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More power to you.
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Alabama Housing Finance Authority
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Come on home, Alabama.
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Wells Fargo (Individual Banking)
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Different dreams. All within reach.
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