Elevating Campaigns with ‘Promise to the Customer’ Strategy

The LinkedIn B2B Institute, in partnership with WARC, has released a new report, titled ‘Making a Promise to the Customer‘, exploring the strategic framework of the ‘Promise to the Customer’ (PTTC). Developed with insights from renowned strategist Roger Martin, this model seeks to align diverse business functions—marketing, sales, product development, and customer experience—around a coherent, credible promise to the customer. 

By studying over 2,000 advertising campaigns, the report underscores the superior performance of PTTC campaigns in key metrics such as brand health, market share, and long-term sales growth. 

Below, we delve into the essential findings and implications of this report:

What is PTTC?

• Promise to the Customer (PTTC): A guiding principle aligning all customer-facing activities around a single, clear promise. The PTTC model addresses common marketing issues by focusing on a promise that is memorable, valuable, and deliverable, building trust over time.

Key Findings and Insights

Impact on Brand Health:

• 56% of PTTC campaigns reported improvements in brand health metrics (brand awareness, consideration, preference) vs. 38% of non-PTTC campaigns.
• PTTC campaigns are 48% more likely to drive brand health improvements, emphasizing the importance of clear and consistent messaging.

Market Share and Penetration:

• 45% of PTTC campaigns reported increases in market penetration, compared to 38% of non-PTTC campaigns.
• Annual market share growth for PTTC campaigns averaged 4%, compared to 2.3% for non-PTTC campaigns, demonstrating substantial competitive advantages.

Creative Effectiveness Ladder:

• PTTC campaigns are more prevalent at higher levels of the Creative Effectiveness Ladder, indicating a stronger correlation with long-term commercial success.
• Even with extensive resources, PTTC campaigns consistently reached higher rungs, underscoring the model’s impact.

Sollis Final Thoughts

The “Promise to the Customer” (PTTC) model elucidated by the LinkedIn B2B Institute and WARC underscores a transformative approach for aligning business functions around a cohesive customer promise. 

This strategic alignment not only boosts brand health by 56% but also demonstrates significant gains in market share and long-term sales growth. 

For pharmaceutical marketers, the PTTC model opens new potential avenues for customer engagement and trust-building. One may put ViiV’s strapline of ‘HERE UNTIL HIV ISN’T’ into this category of PTTC. It is clear, consistent and memorable. 

However, PTTC campaigns do need to be considered carefully within pharma media:

• PTTC campaigns can be crafted within corporate or disease awareness campaigns, how can PTTC campaigns be crafted for brand campaigns and remain compliant with the various local regulations, pulse speak to groups of customers all at once with a single promise?

To read the full report, click here.