What Defines A Good Brand Promise?

“And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky… I’ll be there…” sang the 90s vocal group Boyz II Men.

Promises are made by a commitment by someone to do or not do something, be it in good times or bad times. And there is some form of reassurance and expectations when a promise is made.

Then, there is Brand Promise – where customers have certain levels of expectations that the companies and its brands should demonstrate whenever they are encountered. These brands should live up to the expectations given.

For example, Nike brand promise goes way beyond its famous tagline, “Just do it.” Its promise is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.” Or for AirAsia, its slogan is Now Everyone Can Fly, and its talks about bringing affordable airfare for the masses to travel domestically and internationally.

You wonder, do you need a brand promise in your business?

Brand evokes the responses. People who love their Apple iPhone 7, Perodua Viva, or Dell laptop they own. There are certain good feelings that come to your mind when you think about your favorite brands. So, when there are inconsistencies in the performance of services or product, this can lead to damage in further relations – which could lead to a customer to selecting other brands.

So, how do you make an effective Brand Promise? There are a few aspects to consider.

1. Keep it simple
A Brand Promise should be a simple sentence or two. It is not the same thing as a mission statement, but it has the ‘catchiness’ of a tagline as well as the essence of the company’s mission.

2. It should be credible
This is the main idea of what a brand promise should be. If the customer experience doesn’t match the brand promise, your brand’s value is weakened.
And your customers would look for other brands.

3. Your brand promise should be different from others
Your brand needs to distinguish itself from the rest of the competitors. If it sounds similar to other brand promises, why should the consumers purchase yours? This means there is a need to discover what makes your brand unique and different from the pack – be it the features and benefits it has or what the company and employees represent.

4. It is memorable
A brand promise should leave a lasting impression for both the company and the consumers. It impacts every decision the company makes.

5. It Inspires
People, in general, will act when they feel an emotional connection to a person, product, or company. So, if a Brand Promise is effect, it helps establish that emotional connection of inspiration in your consumers.

The Coca-Cola Company Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent stressed that when a company keeps its brand promise, it means that the company never falls into the traps of complacency and arrogance, while always being open to change and improvement.

“At its heart, Coca-Cola is a brand business, and our brands are nothing more than promises. If a good brand is a promise, then a great brand is a promise kept,” he added.