How to Write a Brand Story

Creating Signature Stories isn’t the first book written on brand storytelling, and it won’t be the last, but because it’s written by David Aaker it’s the one I’ll refer to the most. David Aaker has made outstanding contributions to the science of marketing and has written many books on branding. In his new book, he tells us how to write inspiring brand stories.

Without a brand or organization’s story, we’re just looking at features or benefits. I don’t typically buy things because they have the best feature list. Who can remember those details anyway? But good stories are easy to remember, and they can help people recognize and feel something for a brand. Research tells us that stories “stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life.”

Stories create visibility and energy for brands

An organization’s visibility helps drive its brand awareness, which is when it comes to mind when someone is considering a donation or purchase.

Visibility also enhances credibility. There’s research supporting that brand visibility leads to perceptions of success and leadership. Aaker says that most people lack the motivation or ability to explore why a brand is more visible than others.

Visibility doesn’t mean you have to work in a Super Bowl ad in the budget, after all, we’re not all Budweiser (but this was a good story: Budweiser’s Lost Dog Ad 2015). Hang on and I’ll tell you how to do this on a tight budget.

Brands also need energy. Without energy, a brand can be forgotten or seem old-fashioned. People stop trusting it. Energy can come from new programs, products, innovations, promotions, & events. Speaking of energy, remember Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump for Red Bull? 

One way to bring both visibility and energy to a brand is through stories, because they attract attention, and draw people in.

The most important brand story elements

Aaker says the most important pieces of brand stories include:

1)     Being fresh and different. Grab attention in the first few seconds of a video or sentences of the story.

2)    The first two paragraphs or 15 seconds of video must promise a reward for sticking to the end, such as worthwhile entertainment or affirmation of an opinion.

3)    Create uncertainty and suspense.

4)    Create emotional involvement with characters and plot.

5)    Recognizable story type: warm or funny…

If people are going to repeat the story, they need a good reason. Aaker cites studies that say there are four motivations to passing along stories.

1.      It needs to be so unique and feel-good that it has to be passed on

2.     Sharing a story offers a way to gain attention, seek confirmation of one’s own judgement, or feel like a pioneer.

3.     A person may want to reach out and show they care with a story that would be helpful to someone else.

4.     The story is so humorous, disturbing, or informative that it’s worth sharing.

If the story has these elements, getting it out there doesn’t take a huge budget. Get the story on the brand web site, a blog, YouTube, social media, and email newsletters. Make it a story that employees and directors want to share.

Here’s my brand story

After working for four years at a company, avoiding being part of four layoffs over four years, I was frazzled. If you’ve ever been through a company layoff—or four—you know what I’m talking about. I was also unsatisfied—I wasn’t doing anything to make the world a better place besides being a parent (I don’t mean to discount that) and my volunteering at my kids’ schools. While volunteering, I saw problems first hand. Strong, caring teachers struggling with learning gaps across the classroom. Students whose second language was English, working so hard to keep up with their peers (as if new math concepts aren’t difficult enough in your own language). Kids not enjoying science because there wasn’t enough funding for hands-on activities.

That’s when it clicked for me. I thought if I could bring my marketing experience to the people who were working to make a difference in education, then I could help them make a difference, too. That’s how Better Place Marketing came to be. Now I am fortunate enough to work with brilliant, dedicated people at education foundations & nonprofits and edtech companies, all working to transform education and make students and teachers’ lives better.

Please send me your story! I’d love to read it.