Elements of remarkable brand storytelling have become an essential part of an effective marketing strategy. So, what is brand storytelling, and why is it so important?
Storytelling is not intended to be a “selling” tool. It’s a method of building strong relationships with your customers and a thriving community of loyalists over time.
A good story can tell people who you are, what you value, and what you do to have an impact on the lives of others. Your story identifies what your passions are and should serve as the foundation for all your future content developments.
American Express’s Open Forum, for example, succeeded because it created stories that supported the narrative of the company’s commitment to small businesses. Pepsi Refresh, on the other hand, failed, in part, because it was unable to connect stories of social responsibility with what had always been a carefree lifestyle brand.
Great storytelling is infinitely more than simply producing content. It is, in fact, no less than helping customers connect with the soul of your enterprise.
Business brand storytelling combines at least five essential aspects. Let’s look at a piece of content that exemplifies each of these aspects:
Who You Are
Use your story to communicate with your customers and potential employees exactly who you are, what got you to where you are, and what is important to you.
When people feel like they know you, they become emotionally invested in your company. Your goals become their goals. They share a sense of pride in seeing you succeed.
Steve Jobs liked to say that it’s not enough to kill bad ideas, you have to kill good ones too. That’s because a good strategy is about making choices and it takes more than intelligence or even instinct, it takes discipline, one of Steve Jobs’ most overlooked qualities.
Marketing strategy is particularly difficult because, as I’ve noted before, the rules have changed. A generation ago, brands mostly strove to create buzz and “drive awareness,” now they need to build compelling experiences that keep consumers engaged.
However, the old tasks have not gone away. We still need to run TV ads and in-store promotions, man conference booths, and hand out brochures, but now on top of that, we have a whole new world of algorithms, apps, and devices to master. To meet the new challenges, we need a new strategic approach, a new mindset, and new organizations.
One great example of this is Harpoon Brewery. Harpoon tells the story of who they were in the very beginning and how they have grown into who they are now. Everyone loves an origin story. Harpoon does a great job of telling theirs, which is one of friendship and passion.
Then they take it a step further by inviting you to become a part of that friendship and joining them for a beer. Instantly you feel a personal connection with the company and its founders. This comradeship is even apparent in its employee ownership program.
What You Specifically Do
Using your story to tell what you specifically do communicates what your product or service is. Beyond that, it also communicates your commitment to that product or service.
You can emphasize the impact you are trying to make in the lives of your customers and the larger community.
FTD Flowers does a great job of this. This company has been around for over 100 years. They have services around the world and their commitment to excellence is constantly evident.
FTD communicates their understanding that flowers are an expression of love and must be of the highest quality to accurately represent those feelings. And they not only make this apparent on their about page. It is on their sales pages as well.
Learn from their example! Your story should be evident across all your sales and marketing assets.
How You Add Value and Care
You can use your story to quickly communicate how you care about your customers, their needs, and our world. At the same time, you can explain how you add value to the lives of others.
Poo-Pourri has done an excellent job of quickly, and with a lot of tasteful humor, explaining that they care about you, your family, and our planet.
They communicate all of this and give you a sense of who they are, what they specifically do, and how they are solving problems, all in just one quick paragraph.
How You Engage
Take your story a step further to help your clientele understand how you engage with the community around you and those that you serve. You can do this by discussing issues you and your company are passionate about.
Another way is to focus your story on the members that allow your organization to thrive.
Mesa Rim is a local rock climbing gym and is deeply committed to its members and the community they call home. Their storytelling includes monthly member spotlights, which allow their members to voice their stories through the brand.
Additionally, they host a monthly volunteer event for both staff and members to attend. This serves as a way to promote through their website and social media channels.
Consumers are becoming more socially conscious. And by integrating these endeavors into their story, Mesa Rim can connect with their customers on an even deeper level.
How You Solve Problems
Your story should explain to your customers exactly how you create solutions that meet their ever-changing needs. It isn’t enough to show how you can solve one immediate problem. You need to tell them how you continue to work to anticipate and create solutions for potential problems.
99designs is committed to its community of designers and customers, which is apparent in every piece of content they create. They do a great job of using their story to communicate how they solve problems by highlighting the creativity and ingenuity of their community.
The bottom line
Storytelling is a great way to let your clientele know exactly who you are, what you are committed to, and what you are passionate about – both in your company and in our world.
Brand storytelling helps your customers create a personal connection, build a relationship, and ultimately loyalty to your brand.
Telling your story will help you to stand out from your competitors and be memorable to your customers.
