Why Your Brand Promise Matters

The other day I had a letter that needed to arrive before a quickly approaching deadline. I went to FedEx, sent it Fast Overnight, and stuffed the receipt in my pocket. Was I 100% certain the letter would arrive on time? I guess not.

But was I pretty confident? You bet.

But what if the FedEx slogan, “The World on Time” was just a tagline developed in the marketing department? Imagine no CEO driving a singular-minded mission into operating culture. Imagine systems and structures that weren’t planned to honor that promise. Imagine databases and applications with disagreeing goals. Without a singular idea at their core, a promise to the customer—to me!—they aren’t the same, reliable brand. And in that world, I imagine my wait for the letter to arrive would include quite a bit more anxiety.

Alignment in action.

How about McDonald’s? Their promise of “consistent, fun, and fast” drives every decision through the organization. Delivering on the promise of “fast” drove changes like kiosk ordering, double drive-thrus, and app ordering. If the brand were to stay locked inside of marketing, these types of innovations would never happen or never happen in alignment.

The core of Apple’s brand centers around simplicity. “It just works.” From the very beginning, Steve Jobs led with the promise of simplicity. “We will make devices bright and pure and honest about being high-tech … And we will make them simple. Really simple.” What good is this promise if it’s owned by hardware teams but not software teams? Does Apple ever become even a shadow of what it is today?

I imagine Geico’s time-bound promise can be intimidating to fulfill as they scale and markets change. “15 minutes or less can save you 15% or more on car insurance.” But there’s something on the line. There’s a promise to be upheld. Or failed.

Nationwide’s promise to be “On Your Side” has no teeth if not supported by systems that prioritize clients satisfaction over profits. Fail on this promise enough times, and their brand becomes worthless.

Promise delivered, promise remembered.

So what is the essence of your brand—what does it promise customers? Try to be honest about how focused or broad that promise really is. Does that promise align with a strategic opportunity in the market? Does your promise have specificity that could drive your organization forward? Or is a wide-open “we do it all” sort of promise that leaves wiggle room to make whatever decisions you want?

Something magical happens when you commit to letting a promise sit at the heart of it all. Your organization can collectively understand where the company is headed. Alignment from the C-suite to warehouse workers to service providers and everywhere in between. Difficult decisions are supported by a destination marked on the map. Future ideas and innovations become channeled instead of aimless wanderings.

So ask yourself: Does your organization chase the heart of your customer? Is it centered on a crystal clear promise? And over time, how can that promise become more narrow and focused?

Cheers to your journey.