Promise or Position?

Two words compete for governance over brands. Is a brand built on a position or is it built on a promise? Promise has become the word of choice in recent years. In fact, my own firm adheres to the promise philosophy of brand strategy. But I might suggest that the two words have different meanings, and should be applied at different times.

A position is a particular point of view or attitude about something. Thus, when a brand is positioned, it is constructed with a outlook. A well-positioned brand can take any subject and interpret it within the worldview of the brand. Positionings are often well-suited for products, where the brand use and scope of interaction is very limited.

On the other hand, a promise is a commitment. It’s not just a point of view. It’s a declaration of intended behavior. That’s why a brand promise is better suited to corporate brands or causes. A brand promise can be applied to many subjects. It doesn’t interpret these subjects as much as it assures you it will do something in relation to them.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 9:41 am. It is filed under Blog and tagged with Branding Soapbox, brands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.