Our Brand Promise
When we work with clients, we talk about the importance of their brand promise – but what does that mean? It’s not necessarily a tagline or headline (although it can be). Nor is it a description of features and benefits (although that can inform it). Your brand promise is what customers can expect to get – both functionally and emotionally – whenever they engage with the brand. And it’s important because that’s the metric against which your customers will measure their experiences. So, it not only has to sound attractive and compelling; it also has to reflect reality.
When we celebrated Relish Marketing’s 10thanniversary, we took on ourselves as a client, working through the same brand development exercises we do with our clients. It was fun to consider “the Relish Experience” and how we create it with our clients, exploring our own brand promise. We spoke with many of our clients, representing large enterprises and growing businesses in sectors ranging from manufacturing and consumer package goods to professional services, healthcare and non-profits. And we learned that the Relish brand promise is driven in equal parts by three key components:
- Strategy + Creative
“For us, the combination of strategy and creative is so important …. Relish is excellent in both areas – and that’s so much of what makes great work.” – Carol Galbreath, Senior Director of PR and Communications, Georgia Dental Association
“[At] some agencies, they start with a creative idea they try to retrofit strategy around… Relish understood what we were looking for… and integrated the creative into that approach.” –Chris McCarthy, Marketing Director, Sargento Foods - Integrity + Attention
“The work has always been high integrity. You do what you say when you say you will do it.”– David Asbury, Chief Executive Officer, Northwestern Benefit“I have big asks – that’s just the world I live in. But Relish does more than tell me what can’t be done. You come up with solutions for what CAN be done. So, when I go to the firm with what is and isn’t possible, I can do it with absolute confidence.” – Karen Wilcox, Interim Marketing Director, Taylor English Duma LLP - Trusted Relationships
“You take the time to learn our company and come up with your best work. Over time a strong mutual trust develops that delivers better, honest feedback and improves the work on both sides.” – Frans Mahieu, Global Director of Marketing HR, Kimberly-Clark
“It seems to me that Relish has thrived because of repeat business. That’s relationships.” – Gareth Clarke, CEO (retired), Irrimax Corporation
“With Relish, I don’t feel like I’m calling on a vendor. I’m calling my team who’s in it with me and knows what we need to do. It’s not transactional, it’s relational.” – Rochelle Valsaint, Manager, Brand and Communications, Lenbrook Senior Living
Most importantly, even three years after our most recent brand development exercises, our clients continue to tell us that while each of these components is valuable, the Relish experience happens in the dynamic created by all three pillars together. And that’s our brand promise: The fusion of strategy and creative, driven by a commitment to integrity and attention, sustained by trusted relationships.
Our founder and President, Pam Willoughby, says that these very components are what inspired her to start Relish Marketing in the first place. “I’d seen too many marketing efforts executed in spite of creative that wasn’t strategic, a lack of integrity, and a distance between the agency and its clients. I knew there had to be a better way. And I wondered – if we focused on that fusion of strategy and creative, integrity and trusted relationships, how much better could it be?”
According to our clients, it can be “Powerful,” “Professional,” “Genuine,” and “A lot of fun.” If that’s something you’ve been wanting more of in your marketing, we’d love to start a conversation about how we can help you get it. Meanwhile, we couldn’t be more enthusiastic about what’s ahead.