Humans are hungry for purpose. Brands that deliver on something deeper than a product and service are primed for success.The true power of a promise is how it transforms your organization.More than just words on a page, a brand promise forges an emotional connection that drives behavior. When used correctly, a promise can transform your organization in many ways.
1. Attracting Top Talent
Reflecting your promise in recruitment can tip the scales in your favor when trying to lure top talent. According to the 2016 Cone Communications Employee Engagement Study:
This sentiment is particularly strong among Millennials. If we look only at that age group, the stats above jump to 75% and 64%. Perhaps even more compelling, 75% of Millennials say they would take a pay cut to work for a responsible company.
2. Improving Employee Engagement
A good brand promise gives your team something to work toward beyond just a paycheck. (Millennials and Gen Xers make up the vast majority of today’s workforce and are known for being cause-driven.)70% of U.S. employees would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to important issues. Providing your team with opportunities to do just that — through the lens of your promise — can increase employee engagement and retention.
3. Increasing Understanding & Efficiency
Your promise should be flexible enough for employees to interpret it in a way that makes sense for their role. These various contexts create paths for employees to explore and learn about the organization.By understanding the ripple effects, employees can use your brand promise to positively impact every stakeholder along the chain. The key is to morph your promise from words on a page into an emotional connection that drives tangible actions and desired behaviors.
4. Developing Leaders at all Levels
The responsibility for living your brand promise may start with the C-suite, but employees at all levels need to be empowered to own and lead the promise in their 20 square feet.A promise acts as a compass for employee decision-making. Cascading that expectation throughout the organization and providing the right tools will help employees focus on the projects and initiatives that matter most in moving your organization forward.
5. Driving Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty
Although a brand promise should only be used internally at first, customers or clients should feel your promise when they interact with you.As internal integration progresses, there will be opportunities to reflect the essence of your promise externally. Even without publishing the complete statement, your brand promise will impact your communications, philanthropy, customer service and operations — all to better deliver your promise to customers.You’ll ultimately come to mean more than just a product or service, giving customers a deeper connection to your company.
Need help defining or integrating a brand promise for your organization? We’d love to help.