Brand promise · Communication · Component
The margin
The deliberate distance between what is promised and what is normally delivered — a choice with a cost in appeal and a return in trust.
The deliverable
What it is
Every promise is set somewhere between what is achieved on a good day and what is achieved reliably. Where it sits is a decision about how often the organisation is willing to fail.
Leaving margin costs appeal at the point of sale and returns trust over the relationship. Both halves are real and the trade should be made on purpose.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The promised level
What the promise commits to.
2 attributes: Promised level · Internal equivalent
LearnThe delivered level
What is actually delivered, with its spread.
3 attributes: Typical delivery · Reliable level · Spread
LearnThe trade
The decision about how much margin to leave, and why.
3 attributes: Margin · Reason · Expected failure rate
Learn
A promise set at the average delivery level is broken about half the time. Set it near the reliable level instead.
The other components in communication
The statements
Where the promise appears externally, in the exact wording used — because customers will hold you to the strongest version they encountered.
LearnThe expectation set
What customers actually come to expect, including from the things that are not the promise — price, design, response time, who answers the phone.
Learn