How to Write a Brand Promise You Can Keep.

Does your company have a brand promise? And if so, are you keeping this promise to consumers?

Along with general “mission statements” and other corporate slogans, the phrase “brand promise” might sound like jargon. But don’t be fooled. Your brand promise is one of the few reasons (if not the only reason) that your customers buy from you. And with that in mind, understanding how to write a brand promise is critical to the success of a brand.

Regular analysis of your brand’s promise can help to review the often-forgotten concept and to understand where your company falls in its ability to deliver on its promises. Whether you have an existing brand promise or will create one for the first time, this article will give you a complete understanding of how to write a brand purpose. Here’s what you will learn:

• What a brand promise is.
• The difference between a brand promise and brand positioning.
• Why a brand promise is essential to business success. 
• The common types of brand promises.
• How to create a brand promise.
• Examples of brand promises that work. 
• Tips to consider when developing your brand’s promise. 

What is a brand promise?

A brand promise is the key driver of your company’s profitability. The brand promise describes the values underpinning the shared values and deeper connections between you and your buyers. A good brand promise clarifies your brand value proposition and brand differentiation. It effectively shows how your products or company values differ from your competitors.

Your brand promise must align with your target audience, strengthening your brand’s emotional benefit to consumers. With repetition, a promise enhances your overall brand experience, driving greater brand loyalty from those consumers.

Brand Promise VS Brand Positioning

Brand promises and positioning are two critical elements of a brand’s overall strategy that shape how consumers perceive and interact with the brand. While these two concepts seem similar, they are quite different and serve distinct purposes in building a brand’s reputation and attracting and keeping its target audience.

A brand promise statement declares a brand’s value to its customers. It is typically a short, catchy phrase that captures what a brand stands for and aims to deliver to its target audience. A brand promise statement should be memorable and resonate with the consumer’s emotions, helping to create a strong emotional connection between the brand and its customers.

A brand positioning statement is a more detailed explanation of a brand’s positioning in the marketplace. It describes the unique qualities and characteristics of the brand that differentiate it from its competitors and how it aims to fulfill the needs and desires of its target audience. A brand positioning statement should be clear, concise, and targeted, providing a solid foundation for all brand messaging and marketing efforts.

A strong brand promise that aligns with your brand positioning statement ensures that a brand’s marketing efforts align with its overall strategy and goals. This is how you multiply a brand’s reputation—extending it beyond existing consumers by building trust in prospective customers.

Why Have a Brand Promise?

A clear brand promise is essential for building customer trust and loyalty. It sets expectations for what they can expect from your products or services and differentiates your brand from competitors. A well-crafted brand promise should be at the core of your brand strategy and convey your brand purpose, values, and emotional benefits.

Without a brand promise, customers may not understand the unique value your brand offers and may be less likely to choose your products or services over those of your competitors. Failure to deliver on your promise can damage your brand reputation and erode customer trust and loyalty.

Promises As A Part Of Your Brand Strategy

You must establish this promise early and be consistent with it across your marketing messages. Because, at its core, your brand promise is all about expectations. When you have a clear brand promise and value propositions, customers know what to expect from your company and service.

But when customers don’t trust your brand promise, they’ll expect little from you—meaning you’ll be low on their buying options.

Common Types of Brand Promises

A brand’s promise should include one or more of the following: 

Quality promise: Assurance of high quality and consistency in the products or services the brand offers.

Value promise: Promise good value for money, often positioned against competitors.

Experience promise: Promise a unique, positive, and memorable customer experience.

Convenience promise: Promise making customers’ lives easier by offering convenient services or products.

Innovation promise: Promise of introducing new and innovative products or services.

Sustainability promise: Promise environmentally friendly and sustainable products or practices.

Authenticity promise: Promise genuine, authentic, and transparent business practices and products.

Service promise: Promise exceptional customer service and support.

Emotional promise: The promise of eliciting specific emotions or feelings in customers, such as happiness, nostalgia, or comfort.

How To Create a Brand Promise

Many great business ideas “appear” originated during a long walk or warm shower. But the truth is, there is a significant amount of category understanding or industry expertise before every aha moment occurs. 

We can say the same thing about a brand promise. Before you slam your hand on the table and state, “that’s it!” follow these steps to narrow your lens, helping you to see opportunities to stand out with your statement. 

Market Research

While it may seem inauthentic to research before letting your creativity drive the development of a company promise, market research is the first step to creating a lasting brand promise. Otherwise, your promise may end up being a swing and miss-with consumers. Market research will help you keep your “eye on the ball” in where to position yourself in the product category. 

Brand Differentiation

Now understand the gaps in the market, and review what makes your brand (and product line) unique. How can you showcase your point of differentiation in your brand promise? From your brand story to the product features of your finished goods, list all the ways you differ from your competitors and look for a common theme among them. 

Brand Personality

When considering your public-facing brand promise, look at your brand personality to help determine the language and how you will communicate the message. For example, your brand voice for sustainability might be uplifting rather than tear-jerking. A great brand promise matches the personality, helping to further its brand identity. 

Brand Promise Examples

Brand promises can look any way you want them to. Some brands prefer a literal promise—a direct statement of their key value propositions. Others prefer to keep things focused on broader company beliefs or values.

Let’s look at three unique examples of a brand promise. 

When you think of each brand promise example, consider how you see the brand through its advertising and marketing campaigns. Does it match up? How about your experience with these brands? Do they keep their promise?

Promising To Inspire

For example, Nike’s brand promise is to “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Nike’s promise is broad. They are not saying anything about its products or service. It talks about the core values that drive Nike’s customers. They aren’t promising that their shoes will make you run faster, but they will help inspire you to achieve your athletic goals—not a bad idea to push for when speaking to an athletic market.

Promising With Purchase Drivers

Then we have companies like the hotel chain Marriott that take a more direct approach: “Quiet luxury. Crafted experiences. Intuitive service.”

The benefits here are tangible. It’s quiet, it’s luxurious, and the service is easy. These statements are examples of clear value propositions paired with more subtle marketing cues that signal the hotel’s consistency, quality, and commitment to the customer experience.

Making A Straight Forward Promise

But they don’t need to be complicated! Take the successful brand promise of regional supermarket chain Wegmans: “Consistent low prices.”

It doesn’t get much simpler than that. It’s a focused and direct promise, leaving no room for doubt about what customers can expect from their shopping trip.

It’s good practice to establish these expectations clearly for your customers. In one consumer survey, 94% of buyers agreed they’re loyal to brands offering complete transparency. And while there’s more to transparency than sharing your core values, it all starts with your promises to your customers.

brand archetype, customer expectations, brand building, brand loyalty, brand identity, 

Brand Promise Tips

Now that you have the framework and have seen a few examples from brands who keep their promise let’s look at some tips to remember as you develop an effective brand promise. 

It’s More Than A Single Promise

A compelling brand promise can take many forms, but it’s important to note that your promise is more than just a single promise, per se. Every service element you describe to your customers becomes part of your brand promise. Think of it as a series of smaller promises and commitments you’ve made to your customers.

You’ve likely made promises about product quality, service efficiency, and customer service (as most businesses do). And to meet your overall “brand promise,” you’ll need to excel in these areas.

Failing To Deliver On A Promise

Have you heard the expression “There’s no such thing as a half-rotten apple”? If one part of the product promise fails, the entire promise fails. If an apple has rotted, it’s a rotten apple. Period. And unfortunately, the same applies to your brand promise.

You must deliver on every aspect of the expectations you’ve built to live up to your promise.

For example, let’s consider Wegmans again. With messages promising consistently low prices, you’d better believe customers expect to save money. But given that customers are visiting primarily for cost savings, they may have fewer expectations about receiving first-rate customer service (compared to visitors who choose higher-end brands like Marriott).

What’s important here is understanding which values are most important to your desired market and following through on those values. In one study published in the Harvard Business Review, 64% of consumers agreed that shared values were the primary reason they built relationships with a company.

Build a Consistent Brand Promise

We’re not saying your service goals should be based entirely on your brand promise. Even budget-centric brands like Wegmans must prioritize the customer experience.

But remember what experiences you’ve titillated your customers with and what expectations they’ll have. You don’t need to be a perfect business meeting every demand (no such thing exists!), but you must ensure you align your marketing messages and real-world service. There’s no other way to turn your marketing promises into actual revenue.

A Promise You Can Count On

Expert brand strategy and packaging performance are at our brand promise’s core. If you want to build a powerful brand promise, we can help. Through a data-driven process, we will help you become clear about what you should promise and how to make the promise so that it penetrates the consumer’s mind.

Book a time to discuss your project with our team.