A brand promise is more than a slogan. It’s a way to show customers what your brand can offer that no one else can. Like other types of promises, brand promises can get tricky because they set high expectations, offer ambitious commitments, and impact relationships.
Below, we’re going to talk about what a brand promise is and how to create one.
What is a brand promise?
A brand promise is a short statement. You engage with your customer about what your brand will offer.
It’s a promise, so when you break it, it can affect your reputation and income.
For example, suppose your brand promise is something like “Innovation in every way”, and your company hasn’t introduced anything new and fresh in the last five years. That can put off potential consumers.
These are the most common types of brand promises:
- Emotional: is a promise that appeals to emotion.
- action based: is a promise tied to a specific action.
- Social: it is a promise based on ethical or social responsibility.
A brand promise reveals what consumers can expect from a brand at all touch points. It serves as a company’s core value and informs all aspects of the company, from its messaging to its customer service.
Your brand promise should be central to your business, something that remains constant as the business grows and evolves.
Not all brand promises are explicit. It is often more of an internal mantra that is shared with employees, investors, and partners. But when you’ve created a strong brand identity and a clear message, your target audience can take on your brand promise.
Brand Promise vs. Slogan
While it may be as brief as a tagline, a brand promise tells consumers: “Hey, this is what you will find every time you interact with our brand«.
So why have one?:
- Because it helps internal and external stakeholders know what to expect from you.
- Because it wins the trust of the consumer.
- Because it serves as the foundation from which you build how your company operates from a consumer interaction perspective.
Why is your brand promise important?
Your brand promise can have a huge impact on customer sentiment, brand reputation, etc.
Because a brand promise is like a promise between two people. It carries more weight than a legal contract, verbal agreement, and affidavit combined. It is part of our social contract: once agreed, can’t be broken.
Your brand promise is the business-scale version of a two-person promise, with your brand on one side and your target audience on the other.
Except, in this case, breaking it will not only ruin your reputation, but it can also affect your income. This promise can affect your valuation of the market, employees and stakeholders.
Delivering on your brand promise can help you grow your brand, build trust with your target audience, and increase your sales.
But, How can you pack all that power into one message?
How to write a brand promise
- Focus on your audience
Your brand promise describes your commitment to your audience. So, to figure out what your promise should be, your first step is to determine what your audience wants from you.
It goes beyond a specific product or service; it is more specific to the experience you are providing.
Another goal of your brand promise is to differentiate yourself from your competitors. What makes you unique? Is it your customer service, your product, your mission, your values? Use this knowledge to offer a promise that is distinctive.
As you know what your audience wants, keep asking questions. Do you know what their level of knowledge is about your industry? Do you have a clear idea of what they need to know to make a purchase?
It is important to remember that your brand promise is not simply a slogan or a commitment. It is the first step to build a community with shared values. The better you understand your audience, the more likely you are to engage them.
If you haven’t already, develop buyer personas and messaging that can resonate with each character.
- Think about the touch points with your customers
With your brand promise, you are guaranteeing something to your customers.
Whether your customer is in the store, on social media, or shopping online, put yourself in their shoes and visualize how you want those interactions to play out. Is there any specific feeling involved? What do you have to win?
For example, let’s say a customer spends a lot of time on your website but hasn’t made a purchase. Do you have any idea why he is hesitating? If you were talking to this client in person, what would you say to help them move to the next step?
Once you put those feelings into words, you can craft a brand promise that reflects the experience you want to promote.
You may also need to write three or more sub-promises for each touchpoint at this stage. You can use these drafts to get to your main brand promise. This exercise can also help you narrow your focus to different touch points and how they can affect the customer experience.
Your brand promise must be consistent across all touch points. Therefore, the more time you spend looking at it from all angles, the more likely you are to create a powerful brand promise.
- Keep it simple, unique and inspiring
Your brand promise should be clear and precise, something you can say in one sentence. It doesn’t have to be as funny as a slogan, but it should definitely inspire confidence.
Try to organize your ideas before you start writing. Having a concise idea of what you want to communicate can make writing easier.
Then reflect on the words you choose. Does your brand promise need fancy words or industry-specific terms? Is your brand promise to sell an offer or explain your product? Answering these questions can help you find the correct vocabulary for your promise.
Then, introduce some play into your writing. Think about your company culture and the details that can paint a picture for your audience. This process will likely create more copy than you’ll need, but it can help you create a promise with an authentic and empathetic voice.
You can then edit your brand promise into a single succinct statement that is helpful, positive, and hopeful.
If you can’t articulate your promise this way, you may not have fully realized your brand’s purpose.
If that’s the case, start by asking yourself these questions:
- What should my clients expect from me?
- What does my company represent?
- What makes us unique?
What makes a successful brand promise?
Unlike a promise between two friends, a brand promise is a public agreement with a large audience. You don’t have to offer a brand promise, but if you choose to do so, you will set expectations for your community.
This is because saying that you will do something is easy, but it can be difficult to follow through. And the inability to deliver on your brand promise can have a long-term effect on brand perception.
To make the most of your brand promise, write it with these keys:
must be believable
Your brand promise should be something that your business or product is qualified to deliver. Brand promises that deliver too much or don’t align with industry expectations can cause customers to question their authenticity.
It can offer clues about your business such as:
- Professional experience level
- Knowledge of complex topics.
- The character of your employees.
This statement can also show your commitment to solving a specific problem for your customers.
must be memorable
It is not enough to capture attention with the promise of your brand. Instead, you want people to remember your promise and connect it to your brand and products for the long term.
Memorable brand promises evoke emotions, grab attention, and offer your audience something new. To create strong emotions, think about the emotions that arise when your customers solve a problem with your product or service. Then analyze the strength of these emotions. You can also see how different situations can evoke different emotions.
Must have a commercial impact
Your brand promise should support what is most important to your business. You can convey product excellence, drive sales, or expand brand influence. And as the people in your organization make decisions, they should do so with the brand promise in mind.
As you work on your brand promise, think about it from the perspective of every department and team member in your company. This can also help inspire your employees and support the company culture.
must be actionable
A brand promise is an offer that your company must deliver. This means that the promise must be something that your company can act on.
As you review your brand promise, ask yourself:
- Is your brand promise also a call to action?
- What do your customers get in return if they engage with your brand?
- How can your audience engage or engage with your brand promise?
- What questions might someone ask after seeing your brand promise?