What's A Brand Story, And Why Does My Company Need One?

These days, it is not enough to simply have a 'good' product or service. Given that emotional consumerism is on the rise, many established brands have decided to go the extra mile by establishing captivating narratives that effectively resonate with their target audience.

In order to achieve a brand that customers are emotionally invested in, you must ensure you fortify a compelling brand story, in order to connect with purchasers.

We are expert storytellers, here at PicStudio, and have constructed this helpful article to decode brand storytelling and help you compose an authentic narrative that will encourage potential customers to trust your brand.

What Is A Brand Story?

A brand story is not just any story. It is a powerful tool that goes beyond creating a marketing message and a sales pitch. Brand stories provide businesses with cohesiveness and substance, forming a personified voice that connects your company with customers.

A brand story must highlight your brand's mission, goals, values, and overall vision in such a way that interests and inspires people.

This modern advertising strategy is designed to encompass the emotions and purpose of your brand in order to grasp your target audience's attention and create a positive perception of your business. This will compel buyers to make a purchase and share their experiences with fellow shoppers, ultimately growing your customer base.

Brand Story Examples

To show you just how fantastic this marketing method is, we have shortlisted some of the best brand stories from successful establishments within the market.

Always

Female care brand, Always, is no stranger to bold storytelling. Throughout this company's history, they have developed tremendously successful marketing campaigns in line with great stories that champion female empowerment.

For 35 years, this brand has celebrated and encouraged confidence amongst their customer base of teenage girls and women, as seen throughout their #LikeAGirl campaign, which advocates female strength and capability.

Simple

Simple is a British skincare brand that is immensely popular throughout the UK, America and Australia. This company abides by providing customers with uncomplicated products, by illustrating a friendly narrative that invites consumers to make a purchase.

Designed for sensitive skin, Simple takes a "kinder approach" to brand storytelling, forming an affable relationship with its target audience.

Valentino's Voce Viva

Since being founded in 1960, the designer fashion brand, Valentino, has espoused contemporary femininity and emotively supported female strength through its marketing messages and campaigns.

Valentino upheld this narrative when launching their Eau de Parfum, Voce Viva. "My Voice, My Strength" is part of the story they communicated when releasing this product, which complies with their beliefs surrounding feminine confidence.

They wisely adopted the ever-growing trend of celebrity endorsements by putting Lady Gaga at the forefront of their advertising campaigns. This is additionally an effective way of drawing in new customers because it will influence fans of Lady Gaga to purchase the product that she is promoting. 

Why Does Your Company Need A Brand Story?

If you want your brand to appear interesting and original, while sustainably growing your entity, you need to begin developing a brand story.

Brand storytelling is one of the most influential ways that a business can attract customers. Constructing a brand story will provide your business with a competitive advantage that will comprehensively improve your brand's equity and elevate your position within the market.

The Key Benefits Of A Good Brand Story

We have rounded up all the main reasons that make brand stories so wonderful to help you understand just how rewarding this marketing approach can be:

Adds Personality

Let's be honest, no one wants to be boring and generic. The best way of standing out from like-brands within the same market is by creating a unique brand personality. Your brand's story is an essential part of your entity's personality, as it will convey the individuality of your organisation.

From advocating your core values to highlighting your unique selling point (USP), you can achieve brand personality in a number of ways when sharing the story of your brand.

Facilitates Trust

Brand stories help businesses to illustrate their authenticity by communicating their values, which paves the way for customer resonance. This is an extremely powerful way of gaining the trust of audiences because the human brain is practically programmed to positively respond to both familiarity and clarity.

Of course, this only works if you use clear and concise language, and if your core values match your purchasers' wants and needs, so be sure to conduct extensive research prior to developing your brand's story.

Humanises Your Business

There's no denying that we humans are sociable beings who crave human interaction, and so that is why humanising your brand is intrinsic to your success.

Brand stories often incorporate personalised messages that are suited to a specific target demographic. This helps your business to organically communicate with audiences, making it easier for customers to recognise and resonate with your company's purpose.

The most impactful way of maintaining a human touch throughout your storytelling is by making your customers' needs and wants the sole focus of your narrative, rather than your products.

For instance, a brand selling anti-ageing cream might say: "We work hard to ensure that every customer can enjoy a youthful glow", rather than: "Our creams are formulated to promote a youthful glow".

A Guide To Creating Your Brand's Story

Successful brand storytelling begins with understanding the image you want to portray as a professional establishment. From tone of voice to brand personality, there are many elements that come into play when building a great brand story.

Before you articulate your brand story, we recommend brainstorming your ideas in line with these questions:

• What is your brand's purpose?

• Who is your brand for?

• What does your brand do and why? 

4 Important Rules Of Brand Storytelling:

Whether you own a fashion, beauty, or lifestyle brand, it is standard practice to adhere to the following rules when developing a brand story:

1. Know Your Target Audience

In order to draw audiences in, you have to engage with themes they can relate to. To understand and pinpoint what your target customers like, you must conduct extensive market research, such as customer surveys and focus groups.

2. Don't Overcomplicate

Sometimes, less is more. To maintain your brand's momentum, keep your storytelling simple by ensuring you use readable language and form concise messages.

3. Be Honest

The last thing you want is to be caught in a lie, or to be labelled as misleading. This can destroy your brand's reputation, creating long-term problems for your company. Ensure that the story you tell is truthful and transparent so that you win over your customers' trust and build a positive name.

4. Be Consistent

Maintaining consistency throughout your brand's story is key to creating a coherent brand image. In doing so, your business will appear both professional and reliable, reassuring customers to trust you.  

How To Share Your Brand Story:

Now that you know all the major details that go into creating a great brand story, it is time to dive into various methods that will help you efficiently spread your narrative and successfully reach your target audience.

• Embrace Social Media: Sharing engaging content across multiple social media platforms (such as Twitter and Instagram) that incorporates your brand's story will promote the virality of your brand and improve your relationship with customers. This will positively contribute to the development of a brand culture.

• Utilise Influencer Endorsements: Recruiting famous figures to promote and share your brand's story will rapidly grow your customer base. This will also encourage word-of-mouth marketing, a valuable attribute to have as a business.

• Share Your Story Across Multiple Channels: The best way to get your story out there is by using as many methods as you can. Your story can be shown throughout your packaging, on brochures, through email lists, across blog posts, and so on. Always remember that there is no such thing as too much marketing!

Enjoy This Article? Discover More From PicStudio...

We would like to thank you for taking the time to read this guided article, and sincerely hope that you feel informed and empowered enough to go out and develop your own brand story. If you need any help crafting your brand's story, we warmly welcome you to discover our services today!
We are PicStudio, a boutique marketing agency based in Sydney, Australia. Our professional team provides bespoke services which are catered to fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands (no matter the size!). If you're in need of some marketing expertise, feel free to contact us today.