When articulating your Brand Promise, forget about describing the features of your products and services; instead, describe the benefits of the outcome, the experiences that can be expected. Articulate it in ways that will line up with what will prove inevitable.   

Purchasing a Harley Davidson motorcycle proved to be the most convoluted, overzealous purchase process I have ever experienced. I found the features and options available to be confusing and difficult to understand. I spent hours trying to differentiate the models available. What became increasingly clear as I shopped around was that no matter which model I would ultimately select, the Brand Promise of a Harley was consistent.  

Every salesperson, existing owner, or mechanic was willing to talk for hours about what I could expect to experience by choosing a Harley. Consistently, the same expectations were described to me by everyone I spoke with. What a great Brand Promise!  

It took less than three days following my purchase to experience each and every scenario that had been described (promised) to me:  



"Strangers will talk to you like they are your best friends."



"Other owners always wave when passing." 



"You will find yourself going out of your way to reach your destination."

With every experience I could check off another expectation from the list of scenarios I had been promised. The brand promise was delivered, and each experience proved to be true.   

A great Brand Promise …

1. is based on the shared-experiences of existing customers.
2. clearly describes the benefits one should expect without the need to discuss features of the product (or service).    
3. confidently sets a clear expectation for prospective customers, leaving no margin for error where customers would ever expect anything different.