Firstly, it is something that you ‘are going to do’. Not something that you are doing, but something that you will do in the future.

Secondly, is something that ‘you’ will do. It is one-way – we promise to do this for you.

Two of the most important things people want in brands today are authenticity and involvement. A promise is not authentic, as we don’t know whether the promise will be kept or not, yet. Nor is a promise inclusive of people, it is something that goes from the business to people, i.e. ‘we promise to do this for you’.

Any brand that wants people to be genuinely involved with it should be shaped around a purpose, not a promise.

Don’t tell people what you promise to do, explain to them why you are doing what you already do. What the purpose is of your brand. Show that your brand has a purpose that you truly believe in and want to share involvement in. In doing this people aren’t simply waiting ‘on a promise’.