What story is your brand telling?
Every little kid understands the awesome power of reading bedtime stories, going to the movies or swapping ghost stories late at night. But adults love stories just as much—so much so that they base their purchasing decisions on how products and services make them feel through storytelling. Don’t believe us?
In a Forbes article titled, “3 Reasons Why Brand Storytelling Is The Future Of Marketing,” Celinne Da Costa wrote, “Brand storytelling is no longer a nice to have. It is a need to have, and what will ultimately maximize your business’s visibility, profit, and impact. Treat it as a compass for your marketing strategy, and the result will be a brand that is as profitable as it is captivating.”1
A brand is its story. And good stories engage, inspire and sell. Whether we’re working with our clients on revamping their whole brand or just writing a brief internal email, we’re thinking about the story. When we’re brainstorming company names and taglines, we’re thinking about the story. When we put together a mood board and pick type fonts, we’re thinking about the story. Basically, no matter what we’re working on in the moment, we’re thinking about how all the moving parts can tell a meaningful story.
No one’s going to care about a color scheme or a clever headline if it doesn’t mean anything. But consumers might care if they knew it reflected the character of the brand, especially if they can relate in some way. The reason we spend extra time developing the brand story and rationale for our full brand projects is because every project we do for them afterward stems from who they are and why they do what they do. That way, it doesn’t matter if someone is looking at a brochure, a billboard, a business card or a full brand guide—they’ll recognize one, cohesive story they can appreciate and relate to.
According to Column Five Media, a communication agency in California and New York, “people want honest, authentic brand relationships built on mutual trust and respect,” and that’s what make personal touches so powerful.2 It’s more like building a real friendship between your brand and your customers through emotional storytelling rather than simply getting someone to buy your product.
When people in marketing talk about emotions, you probably think of something like humane shelter commercials featuring skinny dogs and crying celebrities. But there are so many other opportunities to use emotions, too. Sure, we’ve helped nonprofits get the attention of their community by using literal testimonies of how their lives have changed—and those are really powerful! But even when we work with banks, we use photography and headlines that tell stories of growth, investment and hope for the future. And when we help manufacturers sell HVAC systems or build warehouses, we use witty humor to tell the audience there’s a personality behind the product. We do our research to find the values and important details that make a client tick, like a family legacy, a triumphant comeback or decades of consistency.
Everyone has a story, and Big can help you discover yours with our Hi-Res Branding process. Through research, collaboration and a little creative flair, we’ll show the world why your brand is worth knowing. Call 866-469-4080 to learn more about the process or click here to request a free brand analysis.
1 “3 Reasons Why Brand Storytelling Is The Future Of Marketing”, Forbes, Published January 31, 2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites...
2 “Ultimate Guide to B2B Brand Storytelling (Plus FREE Templates)”, Column Five https://www.columnfivemedia.com/what-is-brand-storytelling...