3.07 How to identify your company’s brand promise
Step 1: Understand the benefit(s) your brand provides to its target customers.
Remember, brand promise is not a description of what a company or product does. Rather, it’s a message to customers that the brand meets a need or want that is very important to them. A business that wants to bring in lunch for its staff may have dozens of catering companies to choose from. But, your catering business is the only one in the city that provides a full dessert bar, including a chocolate fountain. Your brand promises to give clients a fun, one-of-a-kind experience they can’t get anywhere else. Your company knows that its target customers are looking for something unique, and it can benefit them by fulfilling this need.
Step 2: Understand what makes your brand stand out from the competition.
We’ve covered it already, but it’s worth repeating—brand promise shows what makes the company extraordinary! What does your company do that other businesses can’t or don’t? This doesn’t only apply to the goods and services you offer, but also to the overall feeling and experience customers get when interacting with your brand.
Keep in mind that not all competition is direct competition. You might not think that a movie theater and a miniature golf course are competitors; however, they would both love to receive the money you’re planning to spend on entertainment this weekend. In these cases, it’s especially important to understand how your business stands out in terms of overall experience, since customers won’t be comparing “apples to apples.” What businesses might be your “indirect competitors”?
Step 3: Understand the values and beliefs your brand represents.
Successful brands use brand promise to connect to their customers on a “gut” level. Customers are more likely to be loyal to brands that they feel share their values and beliefs. Here are some examples of popular brands and the values they strive to represent through branding and brand promise:
- Walmart—service, respect, excellence, integrity
- Crayola—patience, creativity, flexibility
- Coca-Cola—diversity, passion, optimism
- Procter & Gamble (manufacturer of products such as Febreze, Tide, Charmin, etc.)—leadership, trust
What are your company’s values and beliefs? Are they currently being conveyed through brand promise?
Step 4: Identify brand promise.
The easiest way to get information about your business’s brand promise is to talk to your manager or supervisor about it. S/He should know what it is! However, if s/he doesn’t, perhaps you can discover the answer together by talking to upper management and completing the steps above. You will recognize a true brand promise if it:
- Is tied to feelings and benefits, not features and product descriptions
- Demonstrates the uniqueness of your company/brand
- Is authentic (genuine, true) and credible (believable)
- Relates to the entire organization
Step 5: Incorporate brand promise into all of your daily activities.
A promise is only good if it’s kept! To be successful, a brand promise must be consistently delivered. No matter what your job is, you should incorporate your company’s brand promise into all your daily work tasks. If your brand promises customers the benefit of convenience, you might be able to incorporate that promise into your work designing your business’s website. If your brand promises customers the benefit of being on the cutting edge of style, you might be able to incorporate that promise into your research of the latest fashion trends. If your brand promises customers the benefit of family fun, you might be able to incorporate that promise into your work by greeting children warmly and making sure they have crayons and coloring books. The possibilities are endless—there are thousands of ways for employees to reinforce brand promise each and every day. How are you communicating brand promise in your job?
Check out some videos detailing brand promise for the following organizations: