Well the honest truth is you actually have very little control over your brand story.
And (much like any story, it can be perceived in a number of different ways by different people.
There are many different elements which come together to create a brand story, so the easiest way to showcase the power of brand story is to compare It to something you're most likely familiar with already.
Imagine you've just met someone for the first time in the pub.
Let's say his name is Tom.
You have no idea who he is, where Tom is from or what he is like.
After a few beers and a good amount of chatting later, there's likely been a fair few stories told and you'll have a better idea of what Tom is about.
If you were asked how you feel about Tom, this would be based on everything you have experienced with him over the past few hours and everything he has told you.
Did he seem genuine and honest, or was he loud and a little arrogant?
He said he once went to Africa to build a school for children, but when asked which part of Adrica he couldn't remember...
From everything we experienced, we then craft a perception and view of Tom, who he is and how we feel about him.
Brand story works in the same way... we just can't go out for beers with brands (unfortunately).
So in a nutshell, much like Tom has crafted his story, you can craft yours for your brand.
A brand story is an accumulation of everything you do and put out into the world.
It's not just a well written section on your about us page.
It is everything your brand believes in, values, how it behaves, what it says and how it says it.
Let's go back to our chat in the pub with Tom.
If what Tom said didn't add up or we felt he was being dishonest, would this inspire us to spend more time with him or buy him a beer?
Properly not...
However, what if everything Tom said and did seemed genuine and we even shared many of his values and beliefs?
You bet your ass we're having that beer.
If everything your brand does is well rounded, seems honest and aligned, you'll most likely have a brand story others want to be a part of, invest in and engage with.
Your brand story gives people a reason to believe in your and want to spend time with you. It's partly your reason for existing as a brand.
There are 3 main reasons why you should be tasking time to craft a meaningful brand story for your company:
There are millions of businesses out there selling products. So why would a customer buy from you?
Giving someone a reason to buy from you can be as simple (and free) as telling a captivating brand story which someone can become emotionally connected to and believe in.
Telling a captivating brand story people can care about is one way of attracting the correct types of customers to your brand.
People who believe the same things as your brand. People who are happy to showcase customer loyalty and refer you to others.
So by existing for a genuine reason and telling the story of who your brand is, you attract others who are similar.
These people will be more likely to become advocates for your brand.
And hay presto, you'll soon have an army of unpaid sales staff marketing your business for you.
You'll hear plenty of business owners talking about social media advertising and getting a great return on their marketing investment. But you won't hear many (if any) talk about brand story or branding in general.
Why is that?
Well the main reason comes simply down to numbers.
Most entreprenaurs want to invest their money and time into efforts that show instant results.
They want to spend £300 on advertising and get £450 back.
This is marketing (basically speaking).
But as a brand is based around how people feel about your company, we both know feeing and emotions don't just happen instantly.
They take time to come into effect and develop.
So by investingtime into developing a well rounded brand story and narrative for your brand, you're already going to be setting yourself apart from the majority of your market by building connections with customers who can relate to what you are saying, how your brand comes across and what value you bring to the world.
A great example of this is Youswim.
The brand is driven to design comfortable swimwear and to represent women realistically to encourage them to accept their ever-changing bodies.They reinforce this message by not having sizes for their products, instead focusing on creating cleverly designed swim suits from a special material meaning the same suit can fit anyone from size 2-14.
As mentioned at the beginning, a brand story isn't just something you can write and it magically comes true.
At it's very essence, a brand story is partly the narritive you communicate about what positive value you want to bring to the world. And then saying it in a way which will resonate effectively with the people you are trying to connect with. The last part of the puzzle is backing your story up with action, much like how Youswim refuses to put sizes on their products in order to make women feel better about their bodies and appearance.
If you're still struggling to create a captivating brand story, feel free to get in touch with us. we'll be more than happy to help and give any advice or guidance you need.
