Brand storytelling: The definitive template for telling your brand’s story
Everyone wants to do brand storytelling. But not everyone is actually able to do it.
That changes now, with the definitive template for telling your brand’s story.
Step one: Define your positive values (and your
This step is first for a reason.
Defining your values is the most important decision you need to make before adopting a brand storytelling strategy.
Why? Because stories are about values – the universal qualities of human experience.
Innovation/stagnation. Generosity/selfishness. Innovation/stagnation.
These are what people, almost intuitively, understand. Which is why they are such a huge part of brand storytelling.
For purpose-driven organizations, this will be work that’s already done. You defined your values as part of your branding.
For those that haven’t gone through this, it’s a good excuse to get it done.
Step two: Define your negative values
Here’s what you almost certainly didn’t do while defining your brand’s values: Define the negative versions of those values.
It makes sense, right?
Remember (in the above paragraph) when I said storytelling was about the exploration of values? Well, I was only telling half the truth.
In reality, storytelling is about exploring a conflict in values.
Innovation/stagnation. Generosity/selfishness. Innovation/stagnation.
You can’t explore a positive value, in storytelling, without exploring its negative version.
Step three: Choose your tactics
The next step, after defining your values, is to choose tactics that bring those values to life.
In general, brand storytelling tactics fall into one of five categories:
Telling your audience’s story: This could be something as simple as a customer case study or as involved as visiting an audience member for photos, videos and a write-up
Tell your own story: One of the biggest misconceptions about brand storytelling is that it’s about telling the story of your brand or the people that founded it/work at it. There’s a lot more to brand storytelling than that. But it’s still an effective tactic to have in the arsenal.
Tell a story that reflects your audience’s values: This is where fictional stories can have a big impact. It doesn’t need to be about your brand or its products (preferably it won’t be). It just needs to be about a value you and your audience share.
Sacrifice something: Revenue. Work days. Segments of your audience. You can make a grand gesture that sacrifices something and, in the process, reveals to your audience who your brand is.
Explore a conflict in values: You don’t just have to tell a story about your own values. You can also tell a story about the values you are against (the negative values we mentioned above).
Create a character: One of my favourite brand storytelling tactics. Create your version of Tony The Tiger and get to work.
Learn more about common tactics for brand storytelling here.
Step four: Find people
This is where most brand storytelling strategies fail.
They don’t find people. They live in the realm of key messages and product features. They try to tell a story about a product or a brand and, in the process, forget about people.
People are fundamental to storytelling. It’s as simple as that. If you’re not telling a story about a person, you’re not telling a story.
Maybe this means finding a customer whose story you are trying to tell. Maybe it means creating a brand character. Maybe it means finding people who will play the actors in the commercial you are preparing to film.
One way or another, you need to find people. Otherwise, you’re not brand storytelling.
Step five: Identify channels
This is where a lot of brand storytelling strategies fail.
That’s because those who usually take on the “storytelling” mantle – communications professionals, content marketers – aren’t empowered to do large-scaled brand-building.
That’s where channels (and strategy) come in. You need to find channels that are going to use the storytelling tactics you’ve adopted to reach new audiences.
Because that’s what brand building is: Growing your brand to reach new people.
The channels you select will depend on your goals (and tactics). But they can involve a mix of paid, organic and earned media.
This is also your chance to mix in some creative tactics, like experiential marketing. Or do what REI did and sacrifice the revenue you make on Black Friday by closing for the day.
Step six: Tell your stories!
You’ve done all the work. Now it’s time to go out in the world, tell your stories and build your brand.
Looking to get started with brand storytelling?
I am a brand storyteller with more than 15 years of professional experience helping to level the playing field for the world's worthy causes by equipping them with the brand storytelling tools they need to succeed.
