It makes sense: telling a great brand story can be likened to telling an influential tale. Listeners will be moved by and take something personal away from it. As such, it’s no wonder that companies are focusing their efforts and technology on this method of communication. However, just as not everyone is a great storyteller, not all companies are able to influence without some professional help.
Things to Know About Storytelling
Why brand storytelling matters
Though many leaders might be fooled into thinking that storytelling in the marketing industry is a strategy in itself, they would be very much mistaken. Just like those who believe that it is a fad. Telling a good brand story is just one part of a wider and very good business strategy, and is often very hard to get right.
Why is the Tactic so Effective?
The three elements of a good brand story
Marketing needs to be personal. A brand needs to catch the eye, strike a nerve, pull on a heartstring… in essence it needs to understand who its audience is. That is why telling your brand story is an excellent way to connect with your customers on a psychological level and appeal to their humanity. Kinesis outlines how the marketing tool can get inside your customers’ heads in this article on the subject.
Just like a traditional story, your brand story should consist of three core elements: character (who is behind your brand), setting (the history of the brand) and plot (what your brand stands for). Bear in mind that there is no place for product descriptions in your storyline. The idea is that, by successfully telling a great brand story, the products will then sell themselves.
Who Can I Turn to for Help?
Getting professional help with your story
If you fear that you cannot come up with the basis of your brand story alone, or you need some help and advice to mould existing storytelling ideas into your marketing strategy, then you shouldn’t hesitate to look for some outside help. A brand and strategy innovation agency like www.lightbulbinnovation.com/ can guide you onto the path of marketing success and help you with the art of storytelling.
Finally, it’s important to note that storytelling is equally challenging for every brand. Just because a brand may be more interesting or creative than another, this does not imply that its story will be more appealing.
Summary
This article argues that a compelling brand story is part of a wider marketing strategy rather than a strategy on its own, and explains why storytelling connects with customers on a personal level. It sets out the three core elements of a brand story, character, setting and plot, and suggests that businesses unsure how to build their own story consider outside help from a specialist agency.
Questions this article raises
- How does a brand’s story differ from its marketing slogan or tagline?
- Can a brand story be told effectively without an agency’s help?
- How do businesses measure whether their brand story is connecting with customers?
