Whiplash Team, 21st May 2021
The power of brand stories
The ability to build a powerful and engaging brand story is essential for any organization. It can be a differential element that not only helps to position itself, but also to win the hearts of consumers.
Storytelling is part of the evolution of humankind. Stories have been, since ancient times, a way to transmit culture, values and legacy. For organizations, they are also a tool to build a powerful brand that connects with their users, motivating them, inspiring them and creating a positive perception that generates loyalty and affection.
But building a brand story is not always easy. It requires a deep understanding of both the organization and its audience. A well-structured and well-communicated brand story should expose in simple terms the complexities behind the vision, values and purpose of a company, generating empathy with target audiences, connecting with their aspirations and needs.
In addition, building a powerful brand story implies the conscientious task of organising what we want to tell. The brand story is, in a nutshell, the narrative that sustains and explains what the brand is, why it exists and for whom. It connects the history of the brand, with its identity and with consumers’ perceptions.
Without a doubt, every organization has a story that deserves to be told. However, many get lost in the anecdotes, forgetting where the core of the story is: what they are and what they want to convey. Thus, on many occasions, the message is dispersed and ends up being a cluster of disjointed and ambiguous ideas, unable to connect with the wishes and aspirations of the users.
To be effective in building a powerful brand story, one must keep in mind that all the organization’s communications must be consistent with what the brand inspires. It must also respond to an intention and a value proposition that supports the business strategy, nurturing communication with users and supporting the general vision of the company.
Each piece that is produced and published, regardless of the format, be it a video, a post, a press release or an advertisement, is part of the structural communication of the brand. For this reason, it is important that there is a common thread between all of them, not necessarily obvious, but consistent with what the brand postulates, how it acts in the general context and what it defends.
It is true that most of the companies that top the lists of the best valued in the world have a story deeply linked to the history of their founders, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon or Tesla, but the story of the brand transcends the genesis of the business, its chronology. It is a constant manifestation of how the brand lives and breathes, its purpose, its culture and its values. And so it must be told.
