A brand story is a narrative in which you describe who you are, why you do what you do, how your company will make a difference for your customers, and why they should trust you. A brand story can include the analogy of a hero’s journey and other compelling storytelling methods.
That’s why descriptive stories are essential for creating customer loyalty and for building trust with customers. Imagine you’re going into battle. What story do you want your customer to see? What narrative does your company want to tell? The more specific you can be, the greater impact your narrative has on your customers. There’s a lot that goes into the branding process, even if it’s storytelling. The brand must be clear, concise, and compelling. It needs to be truthful and credible. No matter what industry you work in, the brand story is passionate about that industry and its customers. While particular formulations may differ from industry to industry, the essence of the brand story still applies. The essence of the brand story is to capture your customer’s attention and highlight its characteristics and strengths. Here’s an example of how a brand story goes: A brand is a way for you to tell your story of who you are–which may be pretty simple or way out there. A brand gives you purpose and value. Whether that be educational, entertainment, inspiration, or fun, it’s about what makes you different from your competition. What can you offer your future customers that no one else can?
At the end of the day, your brand is your substitute for your “why” for your audience. It’s your surrounding thoughts on your vision, personality, products, and experiences. It’s the promise, the emotion that pulls your customers into your world. The brand story is the motivation you give to your audience for doing business with you. Why do you do what you do? We’re professional digital storytellers. You’re not alone in your journey; many businesses have similar journeys and are still profitable. A brand’s balance of positive and negative emotions conveys your message to customers. The positive emotion reinforces a sense of trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds a sense of future customers, who will say, “I see you doing what I would do as a customer.”
The negative emotion makes your audience want to know more about you so that you can impress them. The better you can answer their questions, the better you can cement a relationship of trust. With trust, customers are unquestionably your most valuable asset. All the focus in the world doesn’t matter if your customers don’t trust you to lead them to profit. They can catch you on the run, but they ultimately have very little buying power if they haven’t put any weight behind your story, your product, or your brand. As a brand, you create a story for an audience, and you make that story powerful.
When you tell your brand story, like Who Gives A Crap, it activates communication networks within your brain. When people think of Who Gives A Crap they think about their vision for change and saving the environment. The first two triggers a neurological pathway within your brain that stimulates your motivation and sends emotional signals to your body and brain. If you experience a feeling of caring for the environment, you will then seek out products that solve those issues. In my case, I am part of a large group of people that value the quality of the product and its vision for change. When I heard about their charitable donation, 50% of profits go into building toilets for the billions of people who do not have access to toilets. It made me stop and listen closely to who they are and what they are doing.
Who Gives A Crap is a plastic-free toilet paper company that not only makes high-quality products but also gives back to the environment. Their toilet paper has options made from 100% recycled paper or 100% bamboo. Additionally, 50% of their profits are donated to help build toilets for communities in need around the world.
The brand story was an appealing message to me, and it captivated my values. It encouraged me to buy a product that is environmentally friendly and supports a cause I care about. It was a positive reminder of my time in Cambodia when I made friends with a tuk-tuk driver in Siem Reap that gave me an open-minded outlook on how others live in Cambodian society. My new friend asked me to visit his village for the weekend. Before leaving to visit his daughter’s school, I asked if I could use the washroom at his house. When I walked into the washroom I was not expecting much. Just a place to do my business, but when I walked in I realized it was different from what I am used to. There was no toilet, barely any walls (just a hole in the ground to hover and hope you don’t miss).
Their brand story is all about how they make a difference in the environment and helping to solve the toilet issue in many communities. Their mission is something I believe in, and it made me want to buy their products. Develop a brand narrative that’s compelling and easy for your customers to understand. It should be a foundation that will guide them through what you do and why you exist. If you want people to buy your product, you have to capture their attention and make them care about what you’re saying.
