Once Upon A Brand: How to Create A Compelling Brand Story

Pointing to a 1.5 oz bottle of serum on the shelf, a client once asked me, “$250 for this?” As a former sales consultant for a luxury cosmetic brand, this kind of question wasn’t at all uncommon.
“Actually, it’s not any ordinary serum,” I would say before delving into the history of its precious list of ingredients, the back-breaking process in which it was handmade, and if all fails, the heartfelt story of how the founder singlehandedly started the brand. And as if I had recited some sort of magical incantation, numerous people in a single day would go on to pay that questionable $250 price tag for the tiny bottle of serum. But the question is, why?
In today’s world of competitive marketing, a strategic brand story will make your company stand out and most importantly elicit an emotional connection with your customers. Unlike the way we normally think of stories, a brand story can’t simply be told or heard, but instead experienced and felt. A brand conveys who you are and what you do while a brand story is used to resonate with customers at an even deeper level, evoking an emotional response by activating their imagination and senses. When crafted well, your brand story will encourage customers to pass your stories to the people they know, furthering the growth of your business.
Ultimately, whether the stories I shared with clients justified the $250 price tag is unimportant, but what is significant is that the customers became financially and emotionally invested in the brand because of the stories. The brand story is the magic that distinguishes an expensive product from a valuable product. So then, how do you create a compelling story?
Like any good story, a brand story needs a beginning, middle, and end.
In the beginning, you need to establish the protagonist and the characters. Who are the people behind the brand? You want to create characters that people care about or can identify with. Consider why a gift someone special gives you is more valuable than something more expensive. Creating a human-to-human connection between you and your customer will give value to your products.
The middle should establish a challenge. Why do customers need your product? Does it solve a problem? Take the time to educate your customers to help them understand the benefit of your solution. This will prepare you to explain how your product is significant, and ultimately why your customers should care.
The end stands on establishing you as an authority in your field. The values and core beliefs you adopt from your journey will hopefully speak to your customers. They should understand the passion that drives you, and in return, partake in that passion by supporting your business.
Bringing your brand to life through your website, social media profiles and marketing materials also relies on your compelling brand story. Think about what kind of experience the design, copy, and photos on your sales brochure or website convey to your customers. How should they feel about your message? Whether through print or digital, a carefully created marketing communication strategy serves as the binding to your brand story.
Post Written By Different Perspective’s Copywriter Phuong Nguy