A Strong Brand Promise
Defining a brand promise takes a little time and patience, although it will provide a better return on your marketing and sales investment.
By: Alex Valderrama, CEO and Brand Strategist at Cranium Agency
Over the years we have conducted hundreds of brand strategy workshops and we are often given the challenge to define the “Brand Promise” for healthcare brand. Strategically, arriving at the final brand promise statement takes a little time and patience, although implementing a strong brand promise will provide a better return on your marketing and sales investment.
There are many reasons you may want to revisit or create a brand promise for your brand. The most beneficial reason is to clearly define and communicate the primary reason you have a product or service to your customers. There are other reasons, such as a major repositioning in your marketplace, a more clear understanding of what you provide to your customers, and ultimately, the most important reason is to increase sales with a clear brand message.
How do you arrive at a strong brand promise for your healthcare brand?
Let’s take a close look at the process. First, you must have all of your products or services clearly defined and aligned with their benefits. Second, it is important to also define the brand’s mission and vision statements along with the position your brand will occupy in the market. Let’s not forget to include any market research necessary to understand your brand position in the market. Once you have articulated these statements and defined your position in the marketplace, you’re ready to tackle your true brand promise. These are not just words on paper; they are definitive statements which guide your overall marketing, communications, and brand strategy. Plus, a clearly defined brand promise will help rally your employees around a purpose they can clearly communicate in their everyday work to further the success of the company.
As consumers, we are told what to expect from a particular brand. Our expectations are formed based on a multitude of micro-moments in the form of advertising, emails, discussions, etc. The combination of these micro-moments are directly aligned with the brand promise. We all experience this with the brands we encounter.
Here is a quick example. Imagine reading an ad where a dentist promotes their services as being the caring. Now, on your first visit, you check in and your scheduled time passes while they ignore you. You then sit there waiting patiently. After several requests about the time it will take to get through your appointment, they finally get to you and rush you through. Their brand promise to you has been broken and the likelihood of you referring them and going back to that dentist has diminished greatly. A brand promise is all about setting expectations.
In conclusion, be careful how you articulate your brand promise and pay particular attention as to how your brand promise will help differentiate your healthcare brand from the competition. A well defined brand promise is essential to your business growth and marketing success.
What’s your brand promise?
