What should we base our brand promise on?

Connect recognised product strengths to the expertise and contribution of the organisation responsible for them. The Frameworks approaches brand strategy through two questions: what do you stand for, and why should the people who matter care? Use both questions to test whether a proposed promise reflects the business and matters to its audience.

For Strategy Object, research revealed a gap: its SOClass e-government platform was widely respected, but the company behind it remained largely invisible. Stakeholder interviews and audience research identified a foundation beyond technology alone. Strategy Object had spent years helping countries exchange data securely and deliver trade reforms, enabling collaboration, innovation and trust between governments.

The research also identified shared values between Strategy Object and its developer audience: precision, clarity and continuous improvement. The Frameworks used that understanding to position Strategy Object as experts setting the standard for digital trade technology. The practical lesson is to investigate what customers already respect, establish the wider contribution behind that strength, and connect the promise to values the audience recognises.