Branding // March 4, 2019
Storytelling may be something people think they know all their lives. Parents read bedtime stories to their children, grandparents tell age-old tales to their grandchildren, and friends tell stories among themselves to give meaning to conversations and their lives. But how often do we acknowledge that storytelling is a crucial skill to have in our personal lives, leadership, and also for our brands?
A good story is one that’s able to engage someone well enough to empathise with a character and his/her point-of-view. It can also influence someone’s decision and behaviour as well as become a source of inspiration for them to overcome challenges. That said, brands can definitely utilise these outcomes for their businesses as well!
Let’s take the recently trending Japanese Organising Consultant, Marie Kondo, as an example. Her book, ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’, inspired millions to organise and declutter their lives using her famed KonMari Method, which states that you should only keep what sparks joy in your life. Her #1 New York Times bestselling book about the Japanese art of organising as well as her newest Netflix series offered a new perspective to tidying up our lives. Unlike minimalism blogs or gurus who focus on clean, white spaces and monochromatic clothing, her philosophy of what sparks joy moved people from all walks of life, regardless of their background and lifestyle. It helped them to consider how their surrounding environment could directly contribute to their life, health, and happiness.
Upping your brand marketing game? These pointers could come in handy.
Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.” – Oprah Winfrey
Speaking truth into your audiences can be challenging, especially when the content brands put out tend to focus more on the optimistic side of things.
We believe that telling realistic stories can be done in three steps:
1. Identify your purpose
What purpose does your product or service intend to serve? Does it appeal to an altruistic side of yourself or does it help others with their daily struggles? Reflecting on these questions can help streamline your thought process to solidify a consistent identity for your brand. People don’t pay for products; they buy satisfaction and convenience. Profit is important, but a strong brand looks beyond the numbers and recognises its role in people’s lives.
2. Understand your audience
It is one thing to identify your target audience through segmentations on paper, but it is a whole other ball game to nail exactly how your customer’s journey forms and where they are specifically at the time of interaction with your brand. Brands have to keep in mind the different stages their customers may be at, and what they may gravitate towards during those periods, in order for a product or service to be considered useful.
Understanding your audience trains your brand to study your consumer’s behaviour and predict what they never thought they needed or wanted at a specific point in their customer journey. Steve Jobs is a great case study for customer behaviour prediction. When asked how much market research was done for Apple to launch its series of innovative and successful products, he responded with: “None. It isn’t the consumer’s job to know what they want.” Steve Jobs utilises creativity, technical expertise, and his knowledge of consumer behaviour to predict and envision an ingenious product for consumers. Therefore, knowing your customers well can help your brand stay on top of the game by innovating new solutions to their current problems.
3. Use your brand’s story to connect with customers
Finally, it’s time to formulate your own brand philosophy! You can then utilise it to inspire and drive marketing decisions for your marketing mix: product, price, promotion, and place (4Ps).
Need help in telling a good brand story? We provide tailored solutions for your business, so get in touch with us today!
