Your Brand – A Promise Kept?

What a difference it makes when we keep a promise vs. break one.  Kids and loved ones expect us to keep our promises.  Keeping a promise feels good.  All are happy.  The result can be as simple as a met expectation or a big emotional payoff of delivering on a big promise.  Repeated kept promises strengthen a relationship and trust.

Breaking a promise disappoints all parties.  You let someone down—even if there was a reason to do so.  The person on the other side of the broken promise is disappointed, hurt, perhaps event angry.  You fell short of what you promised.  You risk losing their trust in the future.  Repeated broken promises destroy trust.

Keep this in mind when you think of your brand.  Your brand is your promise.  People buy your brand because of what it represents—and the emotional bond they have built with your brand because of the consistent experience you deliver.  It is a promise of expected consistency, quality, timeliness, value and experience.  It is the promise of their ongoing relationship with you and your products or services.  If you change your product or service delivery in a way that is perceived to be less than expected, you have broken your brand promise.  Your customer will decide whether or not to give your relationship another chance and buy from you again.  Can they trust you in the future?

You will look at your brand differently if you view your customers as those you to whom you have made promises.  Keep your promise, build your relationship and trust and you will often be rewarded.