Defining a Brand Promise

Brand Promise is the statement which a brand gives directly to the audience. The statement that works as a commitment is either shared through an advertisement, a brand tagline, a particular campaign etc. It is believed to convey your personality, the things for which the brand should be known for and remembered. It is the intangible aspect of a brand’s identity; the tangibles being, the logo, the tagline, the design, the ambassador etc.

Why Need a Brand Promise?

Why one needs a brand promise when in the fact many brands are doing just fine without it? Or these are brands which do not have an explicit promise but if you ask its consumers – they will tell you the promise which the brand has lived up to.

Think for a minute about your favorite brand, what promise does it makes?

Coke – though not a favorite one to consume, but I truly love the brand for the promises it makes to its loyalist, the youth. If we have a look at the coke campaigns, we will realize that every brand campaign is about a promise and the way they make the promise reach its customers is amazing.

You can always share your favorite brand and the promise it kept/couldn’t keep in the comments.

Why a Brand Promise is Significant?

Significant because it is the credential you show to others to prove the credibility of your brand. Many a times brand get into too many options to attract maximum clients, but this know it all and do it all strategy often leads to severe losses in brand credibility.

Mostly the young start-ups believe is saying ‘Yes’ to whatever comes and this in turn effects the ongoing projects.  A Brand Promise is significant to keep you constant and enable continuous growth. Be an established brand or a start-up, it is must to ensure that the delivery is as per the promise.

Sometimes an Undelivered Brand Promise leads to loss in brand image and causes product failures too. To quote a few examples – Check out the new launch at Mc Donald’s, the images that they promise in the advertisements are way too large than what is delivered on your platter in the restaurant.

Similarly, the Pizza Hut Delivery promise though is one of a like but couldn’t be lived up-to and hence, now you place an order and they will communicate the time in which your Pizza would be delivered at your doorstep. This I would say is a better strategy, it is a promise you make to the customer at the time of order placement and if you deliver it on time – you brand earns a point in Customers mind, earns you a better recall and compels the customer to come back to you for Pizza.

Look at Tata Nano, what a promise and how significant it is in the entire brand image and its success. Had it not been about the Promise to the Indian Consumer, which is more like exceeding the expectations, putting dreams on fire and making the four wheeler segment – so affordable? Tata Nano’s latest campaign is full of life and talks about Awesomeness.

Truly an example of a Brand Promise delivered. In a nation with majority of middle class population, the significance of Nano’s promise had increased multi-folds. And whoa, they delivered. They made the people accept that, this is what I can afford and I sincerely want more out of it.

A Brand Promise is the most powerful aspect of Branding. It extends your positioning statement and reaches straight to the customers. A promise is about excitement, customer expectations and overall brand experience.

Watch out your Promise and start now to deliver it as it is.