A brand promise is an agreement between a company and its customers. Yet Gallup finds that companies are largely failing to make good on their agreements. Only half of the almost 18 million customers Gallup has surveyed strongly believe that the companies they do business with always deliver on what they promise. The other half, not so much.

A brand promise represents everything a company stands for—or does not stand for. It is the unique statement of what the company offers, what separates it from its rivals, and what makes it worthy of customers’ consideration.

Gallup research shows that brand promises have a profound impact on business outcomes. The highest-performing companies in Gallup’s database deliver on their brand promise 75 percent of the time, according to their customers. These companies have greater levels of customer engagement, which enables them to surpass their competitors in terms of share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and relationship growth.

 …