We’re all living in a story. Stories are how we make sense of ourselves and our world. You might think that your company’s “About” story is for helping prospects and customers understand you.
And you’d be right.
But it’s also a way of helping you better understand yourself.
In other words, the exercise of composing a brand story goes a long way toward empowering anyone who works at your organization. It gives them a sense for who they are, what they’re doing, and why it matters.
The better the story, the better people can feel about contributing to it, spreading the word about it, and doing their best to make it come true.
So how do you tell this story?
Look for the interesting.
Every company has tidbits of lore hiding in its history. Effective brand stories highlight those unique details. We have a client whose two founders met in a chance elevator ride. That was 25 years ago and the company is thriving to this day. What an interesting hook—it creates a sense of fate and serendipity. We used this fact to kick off their About page. Not only does an image like this engage the reader, but it gives your company a point of origin to trace everything back to. It’s like a founding myth.
Apply narrative structure.
Beginning, middle, and end. Problem, solution. Before and after. When you get right down to it, there are really only a few frameworks for telling a story. But violate them at your peril. The human brain is wired to download information in the form of narrative. This is primal. The first thing a child asks for once it’s able is “tell me a story.” And, in fact, if you wanted to begin your story with “Once upon a time…”, that’s not a bad place to start.
Use simple words.
My mother has advanced Alzheimer’s. She’s lost most of her language facility; only a few words remain. She recently fractured her knee and the other day I was trying to help her down the steps. “It hurt,” she uttered, as though they were her first words. And in reality, they probably were. Simple language is at the core of our emotions, at the heart of our psychology. The more basic your language, the more likely you are to touch that part of the brain that is fundamental—the part that’s trying to survive. That’s where the deepest connections are made.
Strike the right tone.
That being said, sometimes a story calls for a more sophisticated tone. This may involve using more complex words, but they shouldn’t feel complex. They should still feel simple. We’re working with a high-end design-build firm whose interior design and architecture projects average around $25 million. As such, their story requires a degree of refinement. We used metaphors (“home is a tapestry of feeling and function”) and words (“distinctive,” “wonderful,” “joy”) that lifted the company’s identity into the realm of artistry. In doing so, we helped affirm their own belief in what they’re doing—and why it’s so special.
Crafting a brand story is a nuanced and multi-faceted task with as many possibilities as there are companies. But the end result is always the same: everyone from prospects to customers to employees shares a clear and foundational understanding of what the brand is all about. This understanding translates to greater confidence in the market and a deeper commitment from your people.
Let’s figure out the best way to tell your brand story together.
