While we write a story, there is a Hero/Heroine and a Villain, and some obstacles that they have to cross. The Hero/Heroine needs a Guide, a Fairy Godmother, or a white-bearded Headmaster of a wizarding school to achieve their destiny.
Although many times brands make mistakes while telling a story when they play the hero’s role. A brand is not the protagonist, but the customer is. The brand is the character that guides the customer to overcome the hurdles and be a better version of themselves.
Some brands have been doing this for a long time, and others are catching up. The Dove campaign in 2004 is an excellent example of creating a consumer-centric advertising strategy to tap into women’s consciousness and assure them they are more beautiful than they think they are. In the process, the ads don’t say use of our products will make you attractive but tries to strengthen the belief about their product Dove is a mild skin-care product that helps with skin issues but cares about what women see themselves.
Like great fiction, a brand story should have these-
- Humanize the brand– People want to know the back-story for the brand, and when they see the struggles and challenges, they connect with the brand better. When the brand resonates with the consumer to an emotional level, it creates long-term loyalty.
- Have a customer-centric approach– To understand that we need the consumers and not the other way around is a humbling experience for the brands. Address the issues the product solves rather than thinking that the superior quality product is the holy grail every consumer should be tempted to buy.
Start by understanding the challenge the consumer is facing, how the product will solve the problem, and the benefit to the consumer.
- Single-minded message– With the amount of information bombarded on consumers each passing moment, your communication should be clear, crisp, and consistent. Ambiguity creates confusion, and confused consumers will not understand the essence of the messaging.
- Crafting brand elements– Use brand elements cleverly to reiterate your message to the consumers and continuously build upon that.
A beautifully crafted story will intrigue the ethos of your target market, creating positive attitudes and loyalty for the brand.
“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
~ Steve Jobs
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