Every brand has a story to tell. Whether you share how your brand came to be or what motivates you to provide a particular product or service, your story can be used to help people feel connected to your brand. To build a better relationship with your audience, you can tell a convincing brand story.
McDonald’s is partly famous because of their smiling protagonist, Ronald McDonald the clown, while the Coca-Cola company relies on polar bears and Santa Claus to tell holiday stories about their beverage.
People enjoy watching intriguing characters and mascots as they are telling stories about their brands. Millennials especially appreciate this type of marketing. A whopping 80% of Millennials expect a brand to entertain them.
Follow these 3 steps to Tell a Convincing Brand Story
Step 1. Tell the Truth
The first rule to tell a convincing brand story is quite simple – No fairytales!
When you decide to tell your brand story, you must also determine to tell the truth. 54% of people simply don’t trust brands. It is important to be honest and avoid providing false information at all cost. Your content can be a little bit self-promoting, by all means, but you also need to engage your audience.
Here are a few ways to connect with your audience by telling the truth:
- Get Personal: Share personal insight into the origin of your brand
- Describe a Challenge: Storytelling is an opportunity for human to human connection. Talking about a challenge can help to humanize your brand.
- Share the Ugly: While the highlight reel is great, sharing the ugly such as losses or shortcomings will make you relatable.
While people want to hear a story about your brand, they will not appreciate hogwash. Feel free to emphasize the element which makes your product or service unique, but stay honest at all costs. Your reputation depends on it.
Step 2. Find a Hero
To paraphrase the famous Bonnie Tyler song – It’s going to take a Superman to sweep your audience off their feet.
Every great story relies on a worthy protagonist, a brand spokesperson, a hero of sorts that experiences a conflict and ultimately triumphs.
Here’s how to identify a hero that can tell a convincing brand story:
- Your hero is relatable.
- Your hero will talk about your brand in a natural, organic way.
- Your hero is authentic.
- Your hero’s story will enhance the credibility of your brand.
Step 3. Incorporate Your Product or Service
Your storyline should point to your product or service.
Your product or service needs to be strategically placed within your story. Let your story communicate the value of your product. In a promotional video for the iPhone 6s, Apple uses a story to highlight a feature in an entertaining way.
To succeed in telling your story, you should first set the stage and provide context, then include your product or your service in an example that shows how it is valuable.
Tell Your Story
You now have the winning formula to tell a convincing brand story. Be honest, have the right spokesperson, and place your product or service.
So, how do you tell your story? Share what has worked for you in the comments.
