You are your own brand. Your brand is not about what company you’re associated with. Your brand is about you, your name, your reputation, and what you stand for.

What makes for a good brand? It should convey a promise concerning your services. This is sometimes referred to as a tagline. Ideally, a tagline should be meaningful, measurable, and memorable. They are often short, about three to five words, but not always. Most importantly, a tagline should be bold enough to distinguish yourself from the rest of the crowd. Saying that your brand is “great customer service” is too generic.

BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine” is an excellent example of a bold, pithy promise that it consistently delivers on. Notice its singularity of focus. It can be challenging to make a brand promise emphasizing multiple attributes.

However, there are exceptions. Smart & Final’s “Warehouse Prices. Big & Small Sizes” makes three promises, succinctly describes what it provides, and is catchy and memorable, as well.

As mentioned, brand promises should be short and quick to deliver, but not always. Geico’s “15 minutes or less can save you 15% or more on car insurance” is long, but it’s memorable, measurable, and clearly states the company’s benefit.

Having a distinguishable brand is how you differentiate yourself and best compete in a market where clients possess many options.

Once you have developed your brand promise, make certain that everything you do is synchronized with it. Be consistent and vigilant about delivering your brand promise because the most powerful benefit of a brand is the bond of trust and loyalty that it inspires.