Oprah Winfrey  announced in an interview that she and her best friend Gayle King are just friends and not lovers, or a couple. Why on earth would anyone care about Oprah's love life? I'll tell you why, because Oprah is a brand. That's right. Oprah is a billion dollar brand. And consumers want to know everything about their brand, even who they are sleeping with. So what did Oprah do? She did the right thing, she told the world (her audience) the plain and simple truth, that if she was indeed a lesbian she would say so. It has been proven that female friendships have a deep bond that most don't understand, but that's another post.

Folks, that's what you have to do with your brand, TELL THE TRUTH. Don't tell customers that your product or service will do this or that when you know darn well it won't. There are plenty of brands on the market that claim to do this or that, but when put to the test don't perform as stated. 

Do all your customers and clients a favor. Tell the truth about what they are paying you for. If you can't get that project completed on time, then say so. If your product does not do what it says on the package, then don't put it there in the first place. In the long run we consumers will trust your product or service and you as well for being honest. Honesty is how you build a brand.