What promise does your brand make to the world?
When I work with founders & entrepreneurs to build their brand platform, this question is one of the most important things we resolve.
Brand lies at the intersection between promise and perception. If you can make a clear and ownable promise to the world, you're going to create certain expectations and perceptions. When you deliver on that promise, expectations are met and your brand begins to take on meaning. That's when your company begins to take on that emotional quality that high performing brands are known for.
To reach that point, you must get your brand promise right. It must be clear and simple, easy to understand. It must also be meaningful to your audience—something they both value and have not heard before.
But perhaps most importantly, it must be something that is true to you. Something you feel deep in your heart as a founder. An impactful brand promise isn’t just about what you do or sell—it’s about what you stand for. What you believe in.
What promise, or promises, is your brand making? Do you have a clear definition of what your promise is? How does this promise compare with other brands in your niche? Does this promise correlate with the needs and perceptions of your key audience? How are you going to execute on this promise and fulfill it moving forward?
It can be so easy to overcomplicate things. We often feel more comfortable being comprehensive than concise.
But if you try to make your message cover everything, your whole story, then you'll be the only one who understands. You'll struggle to get it out. It'll exist only in your head and no one else will care.
You need to fit your promise, in an intelligent and compelling way, onto a napkin. That's how tight it needs to be to work. Can you intrigue and inspire me in five seconds?
That's what makes memorable messaging: focus, clarity, conciseness, and simplicity in conveying your promise.
Of course, crafting the promise is only the beginning—you must also resolve to fulfill that promise consistently to your customers and reinforce it through all the key touch points of your brand experience.
But it all starts with a promise. Without a promise, there is no brand. Without a brand, your business will never become unforgettable. You will be left to compete solely based on price and features, a battle that no one can win forever.
