A BrandPromise is defined as:

The essence (heart, soul and spirit) of the functional and emotional benefits that customers and influencers receive when experiencing a brand’s products and services.

The right Promise is fundamental to becoming a Genuine Brand and delivering a distinctive experience. Three principles are critical to achieving success:

1. Provide a unique experience with products and services that enhance customer’s lives.
2. Achieve associate parrtnership, passion and support for a Promise.
3. Create a perception of exceptional value and distinctive benefits.

Organizations that make a genuine BrandPromise must first decide how they want all of their stakeholders (customers, associates, shareholders, influencers, etc.) to feel. Once a brand’s “emotional” strategy has been developed, it can move forward with its “functional” (products and services) strategy. However, it’s important for any new product or service to produce profits, but it must also enhance the customer’s emotional connection to the brand.

Making a real Promise means caring about others in a way that is heartfelt and not just a great business proposition. In a world where companies, products and even a person’s brand equity can come and go like shooting stars, the Promise offers a practical guide to long term success.

The BrandPromise contents:

• Chapter One outlines the required mindset that’s necessary to become a Genuine Brand.
• Chapter Two introduces the PromiseRule which defines how customers should be treated.
• Chapter Three details the process for developing an organization’s Promise. Doing a good job is not enough, it’s all about how your customers feel.
• Chapter Four identifies the secrets for delivering a successful Promise and explains the important role of an organization’s associates.
• Chapter Five addresses the five ways organizations can keep their Promises and avoid broken Promises.
• Chapter Six reveals the methodology for predicting brand success.
• Chapter Seven provides the methodology for creating community brands and introduces the Destination BrandScience process with a detailed look at how to do it.
• Chapter Eight is the roadmap for individuals to develop a strategy for their personal brand, with professional insights for celebrities and athletes.
• Chapter Nine focuses on specialized Promise applications for member-centric businesses, charitable and philanthropic organizations, professional service firms and associations.
• Chapter Ten reviews the detailed process for building Genuine Brands.

The BrandPromise is filled with new and innovative BrandScience methodologies for organizations to apply. These methodologies create paradigm shifts that in turn result in competitive advantage.

• A brand is only as good as its Promise. Deciding how an organization wants its customers to feel is more important than any other aspect of its business.
• The Promise Rule: Treat people better than they expect and own the position of privilege in your industry.
• The Brand Balance: Create a business strategy that optimizes the Brand Balance-emotional and functional benefits for customers.
• Effective Promise Signals Example: Recruit, hire and train only those associates that are emotionally capable of delivering an organization’s Promise.
• Independent Brand Audits are essential for future success. The ability to predict a brand’s future requires forward focused consumer intelligence.
• Mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, etc. Corporate change is inevitable; however, at the end of the day, it’s the customers, not the executives, who determine success.
• Transformation– It’s not optional! Delivering a distinctive Promise requires a transformation, i.e. a change in the nature, character or form to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• Board of Directors: If the board doesn’t actively encourage, measure and reinforce a Promise, perhaps no one else will do so either.