What's the Promise Behind Your Brand?

Of course, the choice of advertising type depends on the company's goals, market situation, and long-term strategy. However, successful companies' advertisements share one key characteristic. What is it? All successful advertisements encode a clear, specific, and actionable promise to customers.

A promise is a tool through which relationships can be built. Moreover, fulfilling the promise acts as a trust guarantee – it has a greater positive impact on the recipient than simply providing a service.

Using the extensive World Advertising Research Center (WARC) database, researchers Martin L. Rosier, Schwartz Jans, and Turner Mimi identified which types of brand advertising are most effective for both attracting new customers and converting them into loyal, returning customers. They found that long-term success and sales growth are observed in 67% of campaigns that include a promise to customers. At the same time, making a promise helps structure and more clearly define the brand's mission, thereby improving the company's operations in 59% of cases. How does this work in practice?

There are three most commonly used promise delivery strategies:

First, by incorporating emotional benefits, focusing on how the customer will feel when purchasing the product or using the brand's services. For example, products positioned as prestigious or exclusive can evoke feelings of pride and high self-esteem in customers. Other brands may include storytelling in their advertisements that resonates with the customer’s values and life experiences, thereby selling a product that helps evoke specific emotions.

Second, by highlighting the functional value of the product. This type of promise emphasizes the practical importance and technical capabilities of the product that directly meet the customer’s needs and solve specific problems. For instance, advertisements for kitchen appliances might emphasize how quickly and easily meals can be prepared, saving time and effort. Ads for electrical appliances can highlight features that reassure customers of the product's high quality and performance. The product's functionality can be demonstrated through examples, advantages over competitors' offerings, or sharing customer reviews and experiences.

Third, by ensuring and emphasizing a pleasant purchasing process. A smooth, convenient, and beneficial shopping experience encourages repeat purchases and customer loyalty. For example, user-friendly websites, fast customer service, an easy ordering process, straightforward return policies, and loyalty programs are some of the elements that help provide a pleasant shopping experience. Other categories of promises may include benefits such as affordability or sustainability.

A significant finding is also related to the fact that regardless of the type of promise, successful campaigns share three common characteristics—they are memorable, valuable, and actionable. This combination of traits helps build trust between the brand and consumers. However, part of the value of each promise is the guarantee that the customer can verify that the promise has been fulfilled. This means that the promise must be based on real and verifiable benefits.

Review your company's messages today and encode strategic promises.