A surprising brand delivery betters any grand promise
There is plenty of talk about brand (and customer) experience among marketers these days but much of the walk is around brand expression. Expression is where brand value is promised while experience is how this value is delivered.
The promise - delivery equation is vital to building long term brand equity. Each time delivery exceeds (or at the minimum matches) promise, a brand's value is reinforced. Delivery is all about the product or service doing the job it is meant to do while the Brand is the assurance that it will happen each time, every time.
Products and services are getting increasingly commoditised. This is driving businesses to continually seek that elusive differentiation by adding one extra feature or benefit after another. As a result, promises are becoming more diffused and convoluted.
However, relevance is often more important than differentiation. Good brand building is mostly about a pertinent and unambiguous promise that is emotively communicated. And, a product that faithfully delivers on it, sometimes even exceeds it.
As a marketer, I have always been a fan of the Potter's craft. No, I am not referring to Harry Potter and his magic craft here. But, a potter who works at his wheel and is most skilful at blending form with functionality, experience with expression, and promise with delivery. Marketers really don’t need to reinvent the wheel!
By Mahesh Enjeti, Advisor, Bubblefish