Brand Promise, USP, Elevator Pitch, Brand Story, Brand Personality – What’s the Difference?

If you're lucky enough to join a brand workshop with Creative Resort (cue the humble brag), you'll definitely hear our creative team tossaround a few fancy-sounding brand terms.

Sure, they may sound like they belong in the same family at first, but trust us—they each have their own quirky role in the big brand puzzle. Think of them as siblings, all vying for attention in their own unique way!

Brand jargon can sometimes blur the lines between key concepts (don’tworry, we’ve all been there). But getting a clear handle on the differencesbetween brand promise, USP, elevator pitch, brand story, and brandpersonality—not to mention your guiding North Star—is key to building abrand that stands out and sticks.

So, to clear up the confusion, I’ve broken down each term and showedhow they come together to build a brand truly stands out. You’ll even geta sneak peek at some examples from our previous projects, and trust us,we’ve worked with some pretty awesome clients!

Brand Promise

What It Is: Your brand promise is a clear statement of what your brandguarantees to deliver to its customers day in and day out.

Why It Matters: Your brand promise sets expectations and builds trust.A strong brand promise aligns with customer needs and desires, creatinga foundation for brand loyalty and advocacy. It also keeps your messagingand communications in alignment, helping you to understand what yourbusiness is commited to do, day in and day out.

If your brand is all about sustainability, your promise might be: “We are> > > committed to providing eco-friendly products that minimise environmental impact.”

Creative Resort Example: You can also see an example brand promisebelow which we developed with Mark, Fit Plus Well’s founder:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

What It Is: The USP statement is the distinctive feature or benefit foryour specific market or audience that sets your brand apart fromcompetitors. It highlights why customers should choose your brand overothers.

Why It Matters: Your USP is part of the positioning phase anddifferentiating your brand in a crowded market. It communicates theunique advantages you offer and helps position your brand strategically.This is integral to your messages, as you want to focus on what makesyou truly different and how you can stand out from the crowd.

A tech company might use a USP like: The fastest and most secure cloud storage solution on the market.

Creative Resort Example: We worked with Karis Life to help themrebrand, rename and reposition themselves against competitors. Workingwith their lovely founder Rej, we developed the following USP:“We are obsessed with identifying the right solutions for people facingchallenges with mobility, independence and dignity through aging,disability and rehabilitation, and we do so without compromise. “

Elevator Pitch

What It Is: An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech designed tospark interest in your brand or product. It’s called an “elevator pitch”because it should be concise enough to deliver in the time it takes to ridean elevator – think 20-30 seconds in total.

Why It Matters: A well-written elevator pitch helps you make amemorable impression quickly. It focuses on the person you’re telling andhelps to spark interest of your product or service in their mind.Remember – you want them asking “What’s in it for me or for someone Iknow?” . It’s essential for networking, pitching to potential clients, orintroducing your brand to new audiences.

Brand Story

What It Is: Your brand story is the narrative that encompasses yourbrands mission, history, and values of your brand. It’s a compellingaccount of how your brand came to be and the journey it has undertaken.

Why It Matters: A powerful brand story engages customers on anemotional level, fostering a deeper connection with your brand. It givescontext and meaning to your brand promise and USP.

Example: When working with CanWork – we developed a compelling> > > manifesto and brand story which drove home their North Star of 'Easy'.

Workers and businesses in different parts of the world need each other.Getting willing low-skilled workers from developing countries to fill openjobs in Canada makes a lot of sense, and benefits both parties. But making this happen is extremely difficult.Even if workers and employers magically find each other, the process ofcompleting the paperwork, getting it approved and securing a visa istime-consuming, often taking longer than some seasonal jobs last.CANWORK exists to make this process easy.Easy for workers in other countries to find open roles in Canada.Easy for employers in Canada to find workers from all over the world.Easy for workers to apply for jobs and visas, and get approved to travel.Easy for employers to fill open roles to boost revenues and profits.Most of all, we want to help meet the aspirations and dreams of willingworkers, and help make it easy for them to find, apply and take upopportunities for seasonal work in Canada.

Brand Personality

What It Is: Brand personality refers to the human traits andcharacteristics attributed to your brand. We often run the exercise in ourworkshops and ask our clients “If you were to meet your brand at a BBQ;what would they be like? What would they say? What would they bewearing? Etc etc it shapes how your brand is perceived and interactedwith by your audience.

Why It Matters: A well-defined brand personality helps create aconsistent and relatable brand image and brand messaging. It influenceshow your brand communicates and connects with customers and alsohelps to develop your brand tone of voice.

Example: If your brand personality is friendly and approachable, your communications might be casual and conversational. On the other hand, a brand personality that is professional and authoritative will use more formal language.

We helped Coolsheet develop a very clear brand personality and even gave him a fun name ‘Mr Coolsheet”.

Your brand North Star

What It Is: Your North Star is the central guiding principle or vision thatdrives your brand. It is the concept or anchor that unites all aspects ofyour brand strategy.Think of it as the compass that helps steer your brand in a consistentdirection, regardless of the challenges or changes in the market.

Why It Matters: A well-defined North Star provides clarity and focus foryour brand. It aligns your team’s efforts and ensures that all yourmessaging, strategies, and actions are working towards the sameoverarching goal. It’s essential for maintaining coherence and purpose asyour brand evolves.

For example, Volvo’s North Star is Safety; Apple's is Innovation.

When working with the Care Food Co, we established their North Star asenjoyment which embedded itself into every facet of their brand andcommunications. Enjoyment was seen all through their communications,imagery and messaging.

Bringing It All Together

"Think of each element as playing a different role in your favouriteNetflix series. Your brand promise sets the stage, your USP makes youthe star, your elevator pitch gives a quick intro, your brand story keepsthe audience hooked, and your brand personality adds the charm.Meanwhile, your North Star? That’s the director, pulling it all together.

Understanding and leveraging these parts will help you build a brandthat not only makes a statement but sticks with your audience long afterthe credits roll.By clearly defining each of these roles, you create a brand that not onlystands out but also builds real connections with your customers.

Need help crafting a cohesive brand identity? At Creative Resort, wespecialise in giving brands direction. Get in touch with us today, and let’s start building a brand that trulyreflects who you are.