If you are a modest person, you always honour the promise of pinky.
For strangers, the pink promise is usually between two people and weighs more than spitting, a legal agreement, an oral agreement, and “I swear my submissions [insert a family member]” are included. It is part of our social contract – once agreed upon, it will not be broken.
Product Promise is a rated, commercial version of Pinky Promise, with a product that raises one finger and a target audience raises another.
Unless, of course, breaking that would not only damage your reputation, it could affect your finances.
Let’s talk about how you can build a product promise and see examples from popular brands.
What is the product promise?
The product promise reflects what consumers can expect from the product at every touchpoint. It serves as the company’s core value and informs all aspects of the company, from its messaging to its customers.
The promise of your product should be at the centre of your company, something that remains consistent as it grows and evolves.
Not all product promises are explicit. In many cases, it is more than the internal mantra shared with employees, investors, and partners. However, when you build a strong brand identity and clear messages, your product promise can be considered by your target audience.
Often there is confusion between the product promise and the tagline, so let’s break it down.
While it may be as short as a tagline, the product promise tells consumers, “Hey, this is what you will always find when you contact our product.”
So, why do you have it? Yes, product promise:
• Helps internal and external stakeholders to know what to expect from you.
• Gains consumer trust.
• It serves as the basis on which you build how your company works from the perspective of customer engagement.
One thing you need to be aware of is product promise, after all. So if you break it, it can affect your reputation and your income.
For example, let’s say your product promise is something like “Innovation all the time,” and your company has never come up with anything new and new in the last five years, which could block potential buyers.
Here are the most common types of product promises:
• Emotional: Emotional promise.
• Action-based: A promise related to an action.
• Social: A promise based on good moral or legal status in the community.
How to Create a Product Promise
1. Focus on your audience.
Your product promise explains your commitment to your audience. So, to find out what your promise should be, your first step is to decide what your audience wants from you.
It exceeds the specific product or service, specified in the information it provides.
For example, the promise of a Planet Fitness product is based on people’s desire to join the gym for fear of judgment and embarrassment. The brand, in response, promises to create an environment that encourages people at all levels of exercise to go to the gym and feel comfortable with the exercise.
One of the purposes of your product promise is to differentiate yourself from competitors. What makes you different, is your customer service, your product, your purpose, your values? Use that to give a different promise.
In the case of Planet Fitness, this product has done something that no one else has ever done: Tackling the problem with the gym, not its users.
2. Think about your customer contact points.
With your product promise, you guarantee something to your customers.
So, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about how you want that encounter to go. Is there any feeling involved? What should they gain?
Once you put those words in, you will be able to make a product promise that reflects the experience you want to promote.
3. Keep it simple, unique, and encouraging.
Your product promise should be clear and up-to-date, something you can say in one sentence. It may not be as fun as a tagline, but it should definitely promote trust and confidence.
If you can’t explain your promise in this way, you probably haven’t fully fulfilled the purpose of your product. If so, start by asking yourself these questions:
- What should my customers expect from me?
- What does my company stand for?
- What makes us unique?
Brand Promise Examples
Keep in mind that some of these examples of brand promises are assumed and some have been shared by the companies. Use them as inspiration when crafting your own.
- HubSpot – Help millions of companies grow better.
- Nike – Inspire every athlete in the world.
- Apple – Think differently.
- Starbucks – To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time.
- Coca-Cola – Refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, and inspire moments of optimism.
- Anima Iris – Feel empowered and emboldened.
- Telfar – Redefine luxury as accessible and inclusive.
- Tru Colour – Celebrate our differences.
- Noirbnb – Create a safe space for POC to travel and discover new adventures.
- Pur Home Clean – Change the way you think about cleaning.
What’s common across all of these promises is that they never refer to a particular offering or numerical goal. Instead, they are statements that encompass the brand’s broader purpose.
Brand Promise Template
There is no specific formula for making a promise for your product. However, we have said that it is a combination of a few things that make up your company. So here’s a formula you can use to create your promise:
Opinion + Vision + Price Suggestion = Your Product Promise
Write down your answers and start combining these ideas into one short idea.
Building your brand promise should be a top priority when developing your identity. In addition to this key message, you may be struggling to improve your brand identity and strong communication messages with your target audience.
As with anything else, you will not always have an answer right away except a few repetitions.
It may take a few times to release it, and it’s okay. Because once you have it, it will focus internally and externally as your company grows.
