The Reason to Believe (RTB) is an essential element to support a value proposition, whether it is an offer concept as much as a communication message. Sometimes left in the background or poorly used, RTB is nevertheless a powerful lever for creating credibility and blocking the discourse.
The RTB is the element which supports and gives credibility to the benefits promised to the consumer. In a world of very strong competition where consumers are increasingly suspicious of institutional discourse, RTB is one of the arguments that makes it possible to combat the “window promise” effect. Reassuring, even in the context of disruptive promises, is therefore essential for a brand that wishes to fully secure its message.
Here are five strategies to use once you have stated the benefit(s) you want to promote:
The demonstration: a fairly direct strategy, the product is shown in operating situation allowing the promised benefit to be observed,
The logical explanation: we provide clarification on how the product works. This provides reassurance about the product's ability to deliver the expected benefit,
Use of third party authoritye: we will support the speech by relying on a recognized third party: an ambassador (an actor, an athlete), a label (“product of the year”) or other brands (“recommended by major brands”),
Reference to a previous success: as an illustration of guaranteed consumer satisfaction, we refer to a recent recognized success, for example by referring to product X “new formula”. In the same way, in cinema we find this strategy in the mention “by the director of”.
Using brand reputation: we make direct reference to a widely recognized element of reputation of the brand. For example, even stating the name of certain German cars has become synonymous with “quality”. Operating such a “name-value” association system of course requires brands that are very well established over time.
In practice, we can observe a certain level of confusion, let's take two cases:
Mistake #1 The RTB which acts as a profit. We will focus the speech produced on an element of credibility rather than on the benefit itself. For example, explaining how the product works rather than explaining what's new. This approach therefore requires “translation” work for the consumer, forcing them to start from the RTB given to them to try to get back to the benefit. A job that few consumers will actually take the time to do,
Mistake #2 The complete absence of RTB. It is a possible but risky strategy, that of a brand which believes that the sole reference to itself is enough to make its message credible. Very few brands in the world can afford such an approach.
Five credibility strategies therefore. The choice of one of these strategies is delicate, it must be linked to the nature of the benefit(s) on which we wish to communicate but also to the intended target. Everything is then a question of coherence and fluidity in the speech.