Want people to stand behind your brand? Build trust.
How do you build trust? With an authentic, human-led brand story.
Brand storytelling captures attention, builds emotional connections, and differentiates from competitors. By conveying values and purpose, it increases brand recall and recognition. Moreover, engaging customers in a participatory way through storytelling fosters loyalty and creates a lasting impact in the minds of consumers, ultimately driving business success.
No one has your experiences or lessons learned. Give your customers something to relate to on a human level.
The era has passed when we hoarded challenging matters within ourselves. (Okay, this statement might be a stretch. We've made progress. There's still work to be done).
But I stand firm that no asset is more valuable to a business, brand, or entrepreneur than its story.
How do you pull this story into your brand:
1. Be authentic. Burt's Bees and Patagonia are two great examples. Both brands purposefully create collective action and consumer buy-in through storytelling - sticking to their humble beginnings every step of the way.
2. Grab your audience's attention (but you can only do this if you KNOW your audience). You can look at your customer base, conduct market research and industry trends, and then go over your competitors, define who your target audience isn't, and continuously revise. (Dove - you rock at this).
3. Your brand story won't be for everyone - that's why storydoing is equally as important. Storytelling is about conveying a company's core values — the “why” at the heart of why they do what they do. Storydoing is about inspiring actions based on those goals. Storytelling asks an audience to consider ideas. Storydoing drives choices and actions that lead to better products and deeper connections.
4. Keep the story consistent. "Receipts" aren't just proof of purchase these days; it's also a slang term for "proof" or "evidence," often used to call out someone for lying or to show someone is genuine. Cancel culture is real; audiences use digital receipts as a beginning and end point of accountability. Keep your brand's core values, mission, and unique attributes consistent, and then ensure that these elements are integrated into all brand communications and experiences across different platforms and channels.
I have some additional recommendations in this space, but it comes down to this: by promoting inclusivity, challenging societal norms, and empowering individuals, brands can motivate consumers to not only support the brand but also make a difference in the world around them.
And then find someone who can marry the art and science of content marketing to make your brand the one everyone wants to get behind. 😉
Let's inspire one another - drop your "story" in the comments below.