The power of a promise

Promises are powerful things.

They inspire us. They fill us with hope. They shape our experiences.

From a business perspective, promises are more important than ever – especially for buyers who are seeking solutions to their needs. For example, an effective brand promise builds trust. It gives customers the confidence to do business with you, even during the most uncertain of times.

But a broken brand promise represents a breach of trust. It can lead to unhappy customers, a damaged reputation, reduced revenue and negative reviews.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what a brand promise is, describe its key characteristics and explore several famous examples of them. What does this marketing concept have to do with commercial printing? Read on to find out!

What is a brand promise?

Simply put, a brand promise is a commitment to action, a standard of behavior that sets your company apart from all others. It tells customers and prospects what they can expect from you – in a concise, compelling and memorable way,

An effective brand promise is meaningful and valuable to customers. It’s not a self-serving proclamation of how great you are. It guides the customer experience you’re trying to create and concisely articulates the value you offer to them. Do you provide peace of mind? Happiness? A competitive business edge? Your brand promise embodies those benefits and makes them tangible.

Ideally, a brand promise differentiates a company from its competitors. Some of the world’s most successful organizations have been headed by leaders and innovators who buck conventional wisdom. Think of Elon Musk and the late Steve Jobs, who have built their reputations – and their companies – around looking at the world in new and inspiring ways.

Characteristics of effective brand promises

The best brand promises are simple, consistent and focus on a compelling, differentiating element of the customer experience. They are bold, authentic and credible.

Often, they speak to something aspirational that your ideal customers care deeply about. The world’s best brand promises incorporate a feeling or sentiment that drives customer action, such as “Think Different” or “Just Do It.”

One thing that sets the world’s most successful companies apart is that they go to extraordinary lengths to deliver on their brand promises. The road to success is littered with the wrecks of companies that made bold claims and promises but then weren’t able to fulfill them consistently.

They broke their promises and paid the price.

Once you’ve lost the trust of your customers or constituents, you’re in trouble! So be careful what you promise to yours.

Examples of world-famous brand promises include these three:

Allstate: You’re In Good Hands. Consumers count on their home, auto and life insurance company to help them when things go wrong. The last thing they want is a company that’s slow to respond, doesn’t appear to care about their problems or makes the claims process difficult. By adopting this brand promise, Allstate Insurance assures customers that it will do everything in its power to take care of them. In a world where companies are increasingly impersonal, this is comforting and builds a high level of trust between Allstate and its customers.

BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine. With this brand promise, BMW appeals to discerning luxury car buyers who aren’t just seeking transportation, but a no-compromise experience that reflects their approach to life. Do you want the best? We deliver. The German automaker’s continuing success is the result of its unwavering commitment to delivering on its promise.

GE: Imagination at Work. With this brand promise, GE boldly declares that its focus is on developing innovative solutions for the industries it serves, which include everything from power generation and transportation to renewable energy and healthcare. During the last decade, it has published a prodigious amount of content that showcases its cutting-edge research, helping it to attract not only prospective customers and but the best and the brightest potential hires.

What does this mean to commercial printing?

Most commercial printers don’t make promises. You’ll get your print job when it’s ready. Customer experience is an afterthought. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

For years, Heritage Printing has been committed to providing a higher level of service and responsiveness. We’ve built our reputation around going the extra mile for our clients. But we’ve never formalized it into a brand promise.

At the same time, we realize that a lot of things have changed in your business and the world around you. You need a printer that can evolve with you. One that can provide you with an expanded array of services to help you communicate with impact, persuasiveness and care.

Later this summer, we will unveil the next generation of services from Heritage Printing. We think you’re going to love what we have planned!