In today's ultra-competitive marketplace, crafting a strong brand promise is more important than ever. This promise should clearly communicate your brand's unique positioning and values, so that customers know what to expect from your products or services. But delivering on this promise requires more than just consistency in messaging. It also means echoing your brand positioning across every touchpoint, from your website and social media channels to your customer service interactions. By doing so, you'll build trust and loyalty with your audience, ultimately leading to long-term success for your business.
Patagonia, an outdoor clothing and gear brand. Its idea is built around sustainability and love for the outdoors. This is communicated clearly through their tagline "We’re in business to save our home planet." Their commitment to this promise is echoed across all their touchpoints. Their website and social media channels frequently share content about environmental conservation, their product design focuses on durability and recyclability, and their customer service team actively encourages customers to repair their products instead of buying new ones. This consistent delivery on their brand promise has resulted in a loyal customer base that is deeply aligned with Patagonia's values
Now that we've established the role of a brand promise to echo brand positioning, it's time to connect the brand promise with concrete evidence to enhance your brands credibility.
4. Bridging Brand Promise and Evidence: To Boost Creditability
It's not enough to simply offer a product or service. Consumers want to feel confident in their purchasing decisions and that requires more than just a catchy tagline or sleek website. A brand's promises should be backed up with tangible results that customers can see and feel whether it's from the performance of products or services, positive customer reviews, or published success stories based on data. By providing proof that their promises are being fulfilled, brands can build a solid reputation and earn the trust of consumers. This approach not only boosts creditability in the eyes of your potential customers but also helps to retain existing ones, leading to a more loyal customer base.
Take Tesla for instance. Known for its eco-friendly electric vehicles, Tesla does not simply proclaim the benefits of going green. Instead, they back up their promises with tangible proof. They offer data on their vehicles' emission savings, demonstrate the performance and range of their cars, and showcase numerous positive customer experiences. The consistent delivery of their brand promise not only strengthens their credibility but also inspires trust among their existing and potential customers. Tesla shows us how concrete evidence can enhance a brand's reputation and customer loyalty.
To build trust and credibility, it's important to align the brand promise with the evidence. But it won’t work until brand positioning is completely aligned with key touchpoints in the customer journey.
5. Syncing Positioning: with Moment-of-truth & End Point
Syncing brand positioning with the moment-of-truth touchpoint and end point of the customer journey can make a big difference. By pinpointing these moments and aligning them with your brand positioning, you can create a memorable experience that resonates with your customers. At the end point, the customer makes their final decision about whether to continue the relationship or not. Ensuring that this experience is also consistent with brand positioning can help solidify your brand in the customer's mind and encourage them to return for future interactions. Learn more about this here: ‘How to Create Differentiated CX for Maximum Impact: The Positioning Touchpoints.’
Nike, a brand that has seamlessly integrated its positioning with key customer touchpoints and journey end-points. Nike stands as a symbol of motivation, grit, and the spirit of "Just Do It." This message is effortlessly woven through all of their customer interactions. From their inspiring advertisement campaigns showcasing the determination of athletes, to the experience of donning a pair of Nike shoes for a run, every touchpoint is charged with their brand positioning. At the end point of the customer journey, whether it's crossing the finish line wearing Nike apparel, or achieving a personal fitness goal in their gear, the customer is living the determination and "Just Do It" spirit that Nike embodies in its brand positioning. This consistency only serves to bolster Nike's brand, making it an unforgettable part of their customers' achievements, and motivating them to choose Nike repeatedly.
So, while syncing positioning with key touchpoints is crucial, it's equally important to remember that the entire customer journey must be a reflection of your brand promise - something we'll delve into next.
6. Keeping Brand Promise: Consistency in Communication & Delivery
When it comes to building a brand, consistency is key. Consumers expect their experience with a brand to be consistent across all touchpoints, from advertisements to customer service interactions. Maintaining a consistent brand promise is crucial to building brand loyalty and trust. It’s not just about the message, but also about the delivery. A well-designed marketing campaign can quickly lose its impact if the customer experience doesn’t align with the brand promise. Consistency in brand promise means that every interaction with the consumer should feel like an extension of the brand values. From the tone of voice to the packaging design, every component must work in harmony to convey the same core message. By prioritizing consistency, your brand can create a powerful connection with your customers that will keep them coming back time and time again.
IKEA, a Swedish multinational company, serves as a prime exemplification of brand consistency. Known for its simple, functional, and affordable furniture, IKEA effectively communicates its brand promise across all touchpoints. From the simplicity of their product design to the layout of their stores and their easily identifiable catalogues, every aspect is designed to embody IKEA's core values of sustainability, quality, and affordability. Even their do-it-yourself assembly approach aligns with their goal of making design accessible to everyone. IKEA's steadfast commitment to maintaining brand consistency has significantly contributed to their global recognition and success.
To ensure this synergy between the brand promise and consistency, it is essential to align all stakeholders, particularly those at the executive level, on the vision and strategy for the brand.
7. Securing CEO Support: Embedding Branded CX Culture
Al Ries and Jack Trout's book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, is a remarkable piece of work. Among these laws, the final one, known as "The Law of Resources," holds a special place in my heart. It's all about having the right resources is crucial for turning a great idea into a success. The CEO is #1 resource. To create a branded customer experience within your organization, you need the support and influence of the CEO. They have the power to shape the company's culture and priorities. But if you want to get the CEO on board, you have to show them how delivering a branded customer experience will pay off in the long run. (This is well explained in my previous articles, learn here and here).
An excellent example of this is the transformation of Starbucks under the leadership of Howard Schultz. Schultz, as the CEO, invested heavily in creating a unique customer experience centered around a community feel and the notion of Starbucks as a "third place" between home and work. He understood the importance of providing not just high-quality coffee, but a distinct, branded customer experience. This strategic focus, supported by significant resources, led to the creation of the Starbucks experience we know today, with its signature store design, barista interactions, and globally consistent coffee tastes. Schultz’s influence successfully shaped the company's culture and priorities around this customer experience, leading to Starbucks' global success.
Combined, these 7 steps can guide your organization on how to better craft a powerful and successful brand customer experience strategy - one that builds customer loyalty, trust and drives your company performance. Don’t forget to download the PDF summary of this article along with memorable rhyme!
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Did I miss something important? Let me know if you have any ideas, thoughts, or questions.
Learn related concepts here:
What is Brand Positioning? (Part 1)
What is Brand Positioning (Part 2)
Positioning: How To Get Into Consumer’s Mind [By Being Second]?
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