Forget Brand Promise; Focus on Brand Purpose

The problem with the idea of Brand Promise is that it's so self-referential.  It's focused on the BRAND rather than being focused on the consumer.  Brand Promise can also be brand-aggrandizing.  The very notion can trap the brand team into way overstating the brand's importance in their consumers' lives.  Last, I've seen Brand Promise statements that are very static, such as:  "Brand X is THE brand that is the most stylish."


Brand PURPOSE, however, focuses on how the brand helps consumers realize their aspirations and intentions.  It's consumer-centric rather than being brand-referential.  It makes the brand in service to the consumer's intentions, where most marketing is focused on ensnaring consumers and their loyalty in the brand's orbit.  It's ACTION-ORIENTED rather than a passive statement of fact.


Think of it this way.


If your consumer's intention is to lose weight to be more desirable,  more energetic or live longer, their REAL intention is to be happier on some level.  Their intention is multi-dimensional.  There's a practical, tangible dimension (e.g., my blood pressure goes down or I can get into my size 8 jeans).  There's the sensory dimension (e.g., what a smaller, firmer body looks like) and an emotional dimension (e.g., happiness, joy, success, relief, confidence).  The key is to for the brand to satisfy these sensory and emotional dimensions while addressing progress on the practical dimension.  


In other words, the ideal BRAND PURPOSE is to create the sensory experience that triggers happiness while pragmatically showing a path and a plan to losing weight.


So to know your brand's purpose, you must start be uncovering your consumers' intentions.


To learn more about emerging consumer intentions and platforms for brand growth, please attend our webinar at noon CST on 1/18.  Email Alexis.Oddson@energyinfuser.com to sign up.  Space is limited.