The Promise of Something Great

The future of marketing lies within the past. We’ve been on the subject of storytelling in marketing and how crucial telling a great story is to your overall healthcare marketing campaign. While there are many ingredients that come into play when considering the greatest stories of all time, the few that resonate throughout history can be easily translated into healthcare marketing strategies. The all-powerful promise made between the author and the reader might be one of the most important ingredients to maintaining relevancy throughout the years.

The Story Promise

Hearing the promise of a story that potentially fulfills an issue of human need -- finding healing -- engages the interest of the story's audience. As the characters must overcome increasing obstacles to find healing, they heighten the drama over the story's fulfillment of its promise. - Understanding the Process of Storytelling
by Bill Johnson

In a story that withstands the test of time, the promise is paramount. It’s an assurance on an emotional level that the author makes to the readers. And assurance, if followed through, ultimately solidifies the books place in the reader’s heart throughout their lives.

In a great story, the actions of the characters, the dialogue, the illustration of location and scenery, all tie together to facilitate that promise. With each word written, the story fulfills its promise to the very end. The story never compromises its ultimate goal, never waivers from the genuine truth, and never, ever misleads the readers.

In the end, if the story has remained consistent, genuine and true to the promise, it will make that emotional connection with the readers and will withstand the test of time. The story itself will take on an entirely new existence, with fans who internalize the experience, share it with their friends and family, and advocate for its continuation.

The Brand Promise

The brand promise is everlasting. When a company makes a brand promise, it compromises nothing throughout the time of its existence. And when a customer interacts with the brand, they expect that promise to be kept.

Let’s take a look at a few examples. The United Airlines core value states, “We are committed to providing a level of service to our customers that makes us a leader in the airline industry.” However, a simple surveying of Twitter exposes a litany of customers that don’t quite agree, and they consistently score the worst satisfaction ratings in America. Contrast with Virgin America, whose core value is roughly the same, “Our goal is to always provide you with an unforgettable experience that adds value to your trip.” Now take a look at the corresponding opinions about their patrons’ experiences or industry accolades. – Aaron Levie, Box.com

Just as storytelling begins with a promise, brand marketing must begin with a promise and maintain a strict adherence to that promise throughout the company’s history. It’s often much easier said than done.

• Be Selective – When working with your healthcare marketing firm in Los Angeles, take your time determining what your brand promise will be. Take into consideration what problem your product or service solves for customers and clients. Be specific as to the problem, and then be specific as to how your product or service solves that problem. Your brand promise should reside somewhere in that conversation.
• Be Consistent – The only way to keep your promise is to be consistent with your brand message across all platforms. A story makes no compromises with characters or scenes, just as your brand should make no compromises depending upon what platform of advertising or healthcare marketing you’re using.
• Be Genuine – This brand promise is genuine and authentic. Do not make a promise that you know your company cannot keep, and do not make a promise simply because you think it’s what people want to hear. If the promise is not genuine and authentic, people will see right through it. J

The great brands of today’s generation are great because they have made no compromises. If you want a quick cup of coffee, you hit McDonalds. But if you want a moment away from your busy life, you go to Starbucks for the brand experience of relaxation. If you want an affordable phone, you buy Android. If you want a phone that works with no hassle, you buy an iPhone.

The brand promise is everything in healthcare marketing. In order to tell a great story in healthcare marketing, a promise to the audience must be made and must be kept. All great brands and all great stories have a simple promise, and have stuck with that simple promise.