Brand Stories, Why They’re the Beating Heart of Your Company’s or Product’s DNA.

Never before have brand stories been more important than they are today as marketers seek to differentiate their brands. Sure, every company is special in *some* way, and every product is unique in *some* way. But what makes that specialness come alive is how the story of that uniqueness is told. That is the brand’s “story” – it tells customers what the brand is all about, why the brand matters, and what it stands for, all in a way that is meaningful to the target audience.

Brand stories separate the memorable from the also-ran. They’re why customers are willing to pay a little (maybe a lot) more for one product vs. another. They’re what keep customers coming back.

Why Brand Stories Matter.

Brand stories are different from the brand because a brand is static. The brand is what the company or product represents. The story behind the brand is where the juice is. Brand stories are the “what, where, when, how, and why” of the brand. And what it all means for the customers. It turns the brand into an experience. It gets to the heart of the product or company. It makes the brand relatable. It emotes. It resonates. It engages.

Don’t Miss Your Brands Opportunity

All that was sorely missing when I went to a restaurant during a recent business trip. It was a nice environment with an appealing menu. But there are lots of those kinds of restaurants. I wanted to know the story. How did it come to be? Who started it? Why? Where do they get their recipes? There was nothing to connect with me on an emotional level. When I asked the owner these questions what emerged was a fabulous history and vision that would have made a great story. What a missed opportunity.

For many companies the brand story is tied to the purpose of the company. In today’s mission driven environment, where consumer consciousness is heightened, purpose is primary.

Building a Brand Story

Brand stories are honest. Authentic. Relatable. They trigger an emotional response. The consumer FEELS something on a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual level. They elicit a patchwork of emotions through their tone, tenor and voice. They makes us care about the brand.

Marketers abhor sameness. And most products are the same until the brand story makes them different. The brand story is the foundation for the messaging. They are central to any good marketing program. Every company has a brand story somewhere. There is always a shred or a thread from which to build the story. Find the most passionate people in the company, or the ones who were there from the beginning, and you’ll find the brand story.

Building a brand story takes work. And it must be operationalized into the overall brand architecture. But well crafted and executed a brand story can be the authentic difference of superstar brands.

Don’t miss your opportunity. Let Kinetic help create a honest, authentic, relatable brand story your company.