Recently, I discovered a client who didn’t have — nor understand the role and importance of — a brand story.
Stories add meaning, life, sustenance, and relevance to… everything.
A story is like air: it’s everywhere. As a result, it‘s this “invisible” component that can become something we forget about. Yet, without air, you’re not alive.
Oddly enough, without a brand story, we are to a certain extent not alive either (certainly in the eyes of others: the eyes of future partners, future employees, future clients, and customers).
What we’re talking about is the power of language.
A great story is what breathes life into “mere facts.”
It’s a Big Universe Out There. You’ve Got To Start Somewhere.
There’s a law: If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.
And it won’t be the story you want.
When I run into any business (and it’s way more common than I ever would expect it to be), it becomes a case of “the untold story” or worse, “the story others made up because you didn’t finalize your story or its relevance, as well as its beginning, middle, or ending. So they did it for you.”
Everything starts with a story.
So, one day, I ranted into my iPhone about a brand story and what too few people seemed to understand.
That rant became what you’re about to hear and watch in this new video: 11 Things That Matter—A Brander’s Guide to the Universe.
A Brand Story Requires a Script. Here’s Mine.
The words hit home with many who I shared this with. Here are the main words for you to enjoy and share with others.
- Get your story in order.
- Don’t tell the same story everyone else is telling.
- Think of your story as your house.
- Your story needs a welcome mat. (Be your customer’s best friend in attitude, in manner, in everything from the first point of contact onward.)
- Every story needs a nice paint job. (Look like the leader you aspire to be.)
- Your story needs art on the walls. (This is your brand’s visual identity.)
- Your story needs a winner and a loser. (Be the winner. Define the loser. If you don’t the loser will define you through misleading ideas, false implications, and generalized concepts.)
- Every story must have a clear difference. (With no clear difference, you’re perceived as the same. Being seen as the same commands no value, no benefit, no compelling reason for your guests to stick around, enjoy the refreshments, and come back for more.)
- Your story needs someplace to entertain your guests. (And someplace your customers enjoy being or visiting whether it’s a physical location or an online presence.)
- Your story needs different places to congregate for the different guests you have. (Realize not all your customers are the same.)
- Your story requires maintenance to remain fresh: this includes routine cleaning, fresh flowers, soft linen, tasty food, and constant improvement. (Don’t get complacent with your brand and never rely on old achievements.)
Use these 11 points to craft a brand story you’re proud of, that inspires others to ask of you and your brand, “Why didn’t someone think of this before?”