[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/15\/brands-promises-honesty\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/15\/brands-promises-honesty\/","headline":"Brands: Say what you mean, mean what you say","name":"Brands: Say what you mean, mean what you say","description":"Even a whiff of deception can spell disaster for brands, which is why brands must make brand promises, and keep those promises. ","datePublished":"2016-04-15","dateModified":"2022-10-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ted-rubin\/#Person","name":"Ted Rubin","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ted-rubin\/","identifier":120,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c668c8821df1a2ed296584c5b0b15e9cacfc7ce1ed2cdbd97351315123a748e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c668c8821df1a2ed296584c5b0b15e9cacfc7ce1ed2cdbd97351315123a748e7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/brands-FTR.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/brands-FTR.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/15\/brands-promises-honesty\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/customer-engagement-marketing\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/","name":"Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q39809"]}],"wordCount":667,"keywords":["Customer Engagement","Customer Trust","Marketing"],"articleBody":"Relationships depend on trust, and the little things matter. Are you accountable? When you give your word or brand promise, is it ironclad? It’s easy to make promises, and even easier to go back on them. If you want people to rely on you \u2014 in business and in life \u2014 you need to be reliable.The same goes for the products or services you sell.Sounds obvious? Well, it\u2019s amazing how many brands find out the hard way what happens when you don\u2019t deliver on your promises. As consumers, we all put some level of trust in what’s \u201con the box.\u201d We trust that our favorite low-fat snack really is low in fat, and that the MPG advertised for our vehicle is what we’ll really get on the highway.If we find out that the company in question wasn’t advertising truthfully, then we end our relationship with that company right away. Personal, and professional relationships too, are often derailed when deception is uncovered. Even the appearance of deception can spell doom.      What is brand experience management? Definition, meaning, insights                What does brand experience management mean? How does it compare with brand management? What tools help and how can you measure it? We've got the answers.      Brands: Don\u2019t make promises you can\u2019t keepWe make little promises all the time, often without really thinking about it. I’ll call you back after lunch, or I’ll send you that study when I get in the office tomorrow. Every one of those promises\u2014big and small\u2014is an opportunity to show that you mean what you say… or not.Here are some examples:The VW Emissions Scandal is an unprecedented, extreme example that will generate case studies for decades. In addition to the billions in lost revenue that occurred in recalls, the brand took a huge hit in the trust department.Winning back the confidence of millions of consumers in Europe and the US who thought they were getting an eco-friendly vehicle is a challenge no business wants to face.Less extreme examples happen all the time and still carry steep consequences. An all-natural food turns out not to be so natural. You provide your email address to a company that promises not to share it, then find a mysterious uptick of spam in your inbox. You reserve a seat on a flight only to find out after going through airport security that it’s overbooked.Phone calls are the perfect person-to-person example. It’s so easy to call 10 or 20 minutes after you said you would. No big deal, right? Everyone’s busy. Meanwhile, the person expecting your call blocked out time just for you, and now that time is wasted.Trust takes time, and it’s hard to win back once you lose it. When a customer or colleague finds out they’ve been misled\u2014even by accident\u2014they’re more likely to move on than stick around to see if you make up for it.A \u201cbrand\u201d is what a business or person does; a \u201creputation\u201d is what people remember and share.When we were kids, teachers, parents and coaches called it accountability. Get your homework done on time, and show up to soccer practice with your cleats and shin-guards. Don\u2019t cheat on exams or spend your lunch money on something else. You learn (after making some mistakes) what the consequences were for screwing things up. After a certain age, we call this \u201cintegrity.\u201d And the stuff we learned in school still applies\u2026 and means so mech more. Did you make a commitment? Stick to it. Did you twist the truth? Straighten it out.In business, did you deliver what you promised, when and how you said you would? Don\u2019t give yourself the option for any answer other than, \u201cYes!\u201d Your personal and professional relationships depend on it.  Your competitionwants your customers.Is your brand built to keep them?Unlock strategies to power your enterprise HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"15","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/04\/\/15\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Brands: Say what you mean, mean what you say","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/15\/brands-promises-honesty\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]