Communication creates an expectation. Service, deadlines, the environment and after-sales confirm it or contradict it. And those are the points where the company controls least what the customer concludes.
Two kinds of promise
There is the communication promise, what the brand says. And there is the experience promise, what the customer lives. The customer compares the two. When the experience contradicts what was promised, the contradiction starts to weigh against the company's credibility.
Illustrative example: a clinic that presents itself as exclusive care and leaves the patient waiting without notice. The message moved up a level and the experience stayed where it was.
Before raising the message
So before raising the brand's tone, it is worth checking whether the experience supports the new level. If it does, the identity helps the customer perceive what already exists. If it does not, the brand promises more than the operation delivers, and the problem is no longer one of communication.
In that case, a brand project should not be sold as the solution. I would rather say so than sell the project.
The question that helps
At which touchpoint would one of your customers find out that the brand promised more than the company delivers?
Not every failure of experience compromises the brand. It depends on how serious it is and how important that point is to the customer. But the question shows where to start.
If an answer came quickly, tell me where your company is now.