The Agile Startup: Quick and Dirty Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Promise . . . Then Overdeliver

The way you communicate and interact with potential customers creates an unspoken promise. Whether it’s through advertising, packaging, or customer service, your communications let customers know what to expect. Marketers call these expectations your brand promise, and every company makes a promise in one form or another. Understanding and intentionally communicating your promise is an important first step to creating your brand, differentiating your offering, and forging a strong relationship with customers.

Typically, a brand promise is communicated internally and experienced externally, but some companies also make their promises their taglines. While there’s no single formula to a winning brand promise, make sure you at least convey who you are and what you stand for. Think about Ritz Carlton’s “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen,” or FedEx’s “When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight.” Keep it short and impactful, and avoid generic or meaningless wording.

Your brand promise must set you up for success in the long run, so don’t make promises you can’t keep. The best way to build brand equity is to overdeliver on your promise and surpass expectations.

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