6 Steps To Telling Your Story; Step 3 - What Is Your Unique Story?

(Following up on STEP 2- What Does Your Brand Say?)

Communicating your brand story is essential to building upon your brand values and USP in the competitive marketplace and can also give your company a recognisable personality, which will go further than purely your visual branding.

Take Jimmy's Iced Coffee for example, the successful Dorset based business has been created from a love of iced coffee. Jimmy's humorous yet compelling journey adapting what he found and loved on his travels and bringing it back to the UK. The brand lives and breathes Jimmy's style and story and this really gives the brand personality and instils trust in its products with the use of a few fun videos along the way.

Stories like this not only give the brand personality but also allow customers to become better connected to the products and services you are offering. Displaying and shaping the reason for your existence in a brand story will allow customers to see why they should choose you over the competition and gives them a reason to talk about you with their friends and colleagues.

Why do I need a story?

A story does more than just allow the customer to connect with your products; it allows them to connect more with you. If a customer really connects with you then that's the start of a loyal relationship.

One company that realised a story's importance for showing credibility is Abercrombie and Fitch, parent company of Hollister.

The story of Hollister is that of John M. Hollister who sailed to the Dutch East Indies after graduating from Yale where he fell in love. Together they moved to L.A., had a son and opened a store; a distant relative to the Hollister's we know of today. The son later took over the store and evolved it into having the relaxed, surfer, teen vibe it has now. A lovely story and beautifully fabricated.

Although, faking a history may not be the best route as it can cause confusion, resentment and in this case, potential suing - it does demonstrate how a story, even if you have to craft it, shapes the brand.

So to summarise, why should you build your own unique brand story?

• To connect with your customers - Everyone loves going on a journey. It's the best way to learn. Sharing your story with your customers allows them to share the journey with you.
• It helps build the brand - A good story, especially one full of history and tradition, can be the backbone of all branding and values.
• It gives the brand personality - We're all a bit crackers and it's a bit less scary to express that when you find a brand that acts the same; you can form a true bond.
• It strengthens a belief in your company - Be proud of your heritage and what got you to where you are, even if it's not pretty. This will then extend to your audience and make your businesses identifiable. Cinderella stories are successful they give everyone hope.
• Finally, we all remember our favourite childhood stories because stories stick in our minds. Who doesn't want to be unforgettable?

You now know what you stand for, what your brand says and what your unique story is. You're now ready to tell the world about it. Join us for STEP 4 - How Do You Tell The World?

If you want to know more already about how to tell your story, come along to our next Marketing Leaders Lunch