A lesson on brand storytelling

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a two-day brand storytelling workshop at Singapore Management University with the intention to improve on storytelling capabilities. It covered some fundamental branding principles but also introduced a structure for how to tell a story that will be remembered.

It's great to be back in school again

Arguably, a brand story is something that a brand owns, and it's difficult to copy unlike products and services. It helps a brand to be different and cultivate customer loyalty by capturing what the brand stands for and why people should buy from it. Here are three key takeaways I had:

1. What business are you truly in?

Customers care about themselves and how your products/ services make them feel. Great brands fulfil a deep emotional need or desire for their customers. Start by thinking about what is the real benefit that your brand brings and the change in customers' lives through your products/services. It is important to uncover the aspirations and deep desires of your customers and the transformation they are seeking. We can use Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a starting point.

For example, Airbnb is not just about selling a space to rent instead of hotels and hostels. It is selling a sense of belongingness – to be able to experience being part of a community and getting to know the city like a local when away from home.

Credit: DesignStudio who developed Airbnb's 'Belong Anywhere' branding strategy

2. 3-arc story with customers as the main character

Traditional storytelling has three main features — a character, a conflict, and a resolution. The hero of a brand story is not about your brand or products/services, but your customers. Start by listing down what you know about your customers and their pain points, and finally, how your brand can come in to help them.

Mentioning products/services is important in a brand story, but they are not the main character. It is important that customers feel they are addressed by establishing a connection through reflecting who they are and what their problem is. Features and unique selling points can come later as a solution to help customers become who they want to be.

3. Stay true and come from a place of sincere help

Credibility and authenticity are important. Customers are increasingly distrustful of information provided by brands – weary of the intention of selling. Customers are looking towards reviews to inform their decision-making. This means that a lie or failure to live up to brand promise will be known and damage trust between the brand and customers.

An emotional connection is forged when people buy into the brand and its philosophy. Anchor your brand story in how you can help people and the problems you are trying to solve for customers. This builds brand loyalty, and over time equity.

What does this mean for personal branding?

I found these takeaways not only applicable for businesses but for individuals too. I became more mindful of the invisible 3-arc structure whenever I listen to a friend's story, or if I'm telling them mine. I also edited "The Main Plot" and "The Lore" (about me) pages of this blog after the workshop to make my brand story more compelling.

About the workshop at SMU Academy

The workshop is conducted by Mr. Ashok Miranda who has worked for Disney as Head of Creative and Brand Strategy. Workshops can be a dread sometimes, especially if it's just a download of information but this was made interesting with anecdotes (truly an example of what he teaches). There were also video case studies and discussions to help make sense of key points which make learning and interacting with others easier.

Till the next!