Branding Is A Promise

Branding is really a declaration of who you are, what you believe, and why stakeholders should put their faith in our organization. Thus, branding is a valuable investment in the organization’s future. Employees come and go. Products and services change. The brand remains forever.

Another way to look at branding is that is a promise that an organization makes to its stakeholders. Traits of an effective brand promise include:

  • True and believeable. Branding is about communicating and managing expectations. Over-promising leads to dissatisfied stakeholders, which begins to erode the trust in a brand.
  • Proprietary. To differentiate yourself from the competition, your brand promise must not only have relevance to your audience but separate you from your competitors offering the same or similar services, whether it is a real or implied difference. Remember, perception is reality in the stakeholders’ mind.
  • Sustainable. A brand promise is the core competency of your organization and it is part of your organization from when it was first established and will continue to have meaning into the future.

Personality could be considered another trait to a successful brand promise. It gives the brand consistency that is needed for long-term success. Stakeholders learn to trust these personality traits and can easily predict what to expect from the brand.

The personality also dictates the look and tone of the brand. It is so critical when developing an identity that an organization looks to the brand promise for guidance. All messaging and opportunities should also be weighed against the brand promise. Does this message or opportunity support the brand promise? If not, then reconsider. Fragmentation of messaging and brand erosion begins to occur when this simple test is not conducted.
 
Great brands and brand loyalty are the result of organizations that are stewards of their brand. Organizations that maintain strong, positive relationships with their stakeholders continually protect and build value in their brands.
 
Successful branding does not happen overnight. It is a long-term investment. It is measured in terms of its long-term impact. However, without such an investment, communications will continue to be fragmented, marketing messages will change every several years, and public relations efforts will become routine tasks.
 
With a strong brand, your organization will constantly be communicating and resonating with stakeholders. This is success.

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