Brand strategy

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How To Craft A Compelling Brand Story That Engages & Converts



Almost four decades ago, Apple soared to prominence, airing their iconic “1984” ad during Super Bowl XVIII. Crafted by Chiat/Day and directed by Ridley Scott, the 60-second spot, inspired by George Orwell’s novel 1984, portrayed a dystopian future where crowds of men mindlessly follow the words of a dictator on a television screen disrupted by a defiant British woman.

Amid a turbulent political era, the ad made a powerful statement, subtly targeting American politics and rival IBM. It said, “We’re not just different; we’re revolutionary.” Today, it stands as one of the greatest Super Bowl commercials.

We thrive on storytelling. Why? Stories resonate, forging connections, captivating attention, and evoking emotions that foster meaningful relationships with your brand. As we navigate this storytelling landscape, this article unfolds actionable insights for crafting a compelling brand story that engages and converts.

Why Is This So Important Right Now?


In the dynamic landscape of the past few years, businesses have undergone significant transformations due to factors like the pandemic and market shifts. Amid these changes, it’s striking that many brands have evolved their operations while leaving their messages untouched. This oversight becomes more pronounced as businesses grapple with challenges and changing customer expectations. Moreover, in the current landscape, where recruiting and retaining talent is increasingly challenging, brands recognize the need to address their internal audience—their staff.

Your brand message needs to adapt to attract and have not only customers but top-tier talent. This shift in focus makes it clear that now is the moment to delve into the crucial conversation of crafting compelling brand stories that resonate both externally and internally. This dialogue can be a game changer, influencing how brands communicate their values, culture, and unique offerings.

How Does Your Brand Story Build Loyalty & Trust?


Uber/brand story concept

Can you describe your brand in 20 words or less? More importantly, would you receive a consistent response if you polled everyone in your organization, your customers, and your vendors?

Consider this scenario: An Uber is en route, and you have 20 words to convey who you are, what you do, and why it matters. Could you articulate it within those 20 words before they arrive? We’ve observed varying responses from participants in our boot camp strategy sessions. Divergent answers within your leadership team can signify multiple versions of your brand story, preventing consumers from trusting your brand. This challenge is compounded when there are further discrepancies in how your brand story is portrayed across your website, content, and social media. Such misalignment prevents different consumer trust.

Your brand story is the cornerstone of all marketing efforts. A unified and aligned brand narrative is a solid foundation to guide your endeavors and allocate resources effectively.

Crafting Your Unique Value Proposition Through Storytelling


Storytelling/stories matter concept

Have you wondered what sets your brand apart from the competition? The key lies in emotional connections to our brands. To validate these differentiators, we need evidence. The best approach is to engage with your customers directly to get their perceptions. By probing what distinguishes your brand in the marketplace, you gain invaluable facts and insights, often derived from conversational data. While not always tied to metrics, this qualitative feedback captures the emotions driving consumer decisions. Recognizing that 95% of purchases are emotionally motivated, it's critical to understand how customers feel about your brand.

External feedback is crucial in substantiating internal perceptions of your brand’s identity and differentiation in the market. It’s important to emphasize that labeling something as a unique value proposition or core value isn’t sufficient; there must be supporting evidence or customer stories. Without such substantiation, it remains an ideal rather than a tangible reality.

Common Storytelling Mistakes & How To Avoid Them


Angry man looks at common storytelling mistakes on his laptop

Unlock the power of impactful storytelling by steering clear of common pitfalls such as:

  • Lack of Authenticity – Avoid positioning yourself as something you’re not. Tropicana’s 2009 redesign was met with confusion and backlash, resulting in a 20% sales drop. It starts with building trust and vulnerability and sharing relatable experiences in your storytelling.
  • Avoid Buzzwords & Jargon – Customers don’t understand industry buzzwords and jargon. Simplify storytelling by removing these terms. Instead, connect emotionally through personal brand stories, experiences, and testimonials.
  • Simplify Stories – Consumers spend less than 20 seconds making a purchase decision. Avoid overloading them with complex messages. If you can’t convey your brand story in 20 words, craft a simple, focused, and consistent narrative for better audience engagement.
  • Not Targeting Your Audience – Tailor brand stories to the customer buying journey and buyer personas. Understand their pain points, challenges, goals, and aspirations to provide compelling, targeted messages and solutions.

How To Tailor Stories For Diverse Demographics & Personas


Diverse group of teens/young adults

Begin by defining your buyer persona—consider demographics, frustrations, goals, motivations, and behaviors. Utilize a template for creating a comprehensive buyer persona. Simultaneously, understand the emotional narratives associated with your products or services. For instance, ordering pizza isn’t just about the food; it’s about ensuring a positive environment for your family and kids.

Identify the emotions linked to experiences with your brand, tying them back to the buyer persona and crafting stories that address specific problems. Additionally, identify obstacles preventing your target audience from choosing your brand, enabling you to tailor compelling narratives.

How Social Media Shapes Business Brand Storytelling


Social media and brand storytelling concept

Reach your customers where they are! You don’t need to cover every platform. Identify where your customers are most active and concentrate your efforts there. Social media can be a powerful tool for sharing brand stories. Sixty-four percent of marketers attribute increased sales to their video use, and 70% say video is the most effective method of converting qualified leads. Putting a face to the story through video creates engaging content, fostering authenticity, trust, and stronger relationships with your customers.

To refine your brand storytelling, consider these actionable tips. First, dedicate time with your team to reassess your brand story. What is it today, and has it evolved? What messages are you conveying to your customers, and have their needs shifted? Investing time in this process will yield long-term benefits. Secondly, pose the same questions to your customers. Conduct surveys and gather feedback on their perceptions. With this information, you can craft a compelling brand story that captivates and resonates, driving engagement and conversions.

For more brand marketing insights, follow John Gamades and Lisa Perry. For a step-by-step guide on developing a brand strategy, check out How to Develop a Brand Strategy by Lisa Perry.

This article was written by Lisa Perry and John Gamades.

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How To Craft A Compelling Brand Story …

How To Achieve Successful Strategic Partnerships



Brand partnerships have reached unprecedented heights with the recent Barbie collaboration. Despite the brand’s six-decade legacy, Barbie sales experienced a challenging period with a continuous 12% decline in the three months leading up to the movie release. However, the movie launch brought a remarkable turnaround. The Barbie movie has officially become this year’s highest-grossing release, raking in over $1.3 billion globally.

To achieve this success, Mattel orchestrated partnerships with more than 165 brands across various industries, investing an estimated $150 million in marketing efforts, while the film production cost $145 million. And this is just the beginning, as we anticipate even more records to be set during back-to-school, Halloween, and the holiday season.

Brand partnerships thrive when executed strategically, considering all the critical elements for success, including risk assessment and meticulous pre-planning. In this article, I’ll guide you through these essential aspects, covering topics such as identifying the right partner, crafting effective partnership strategies, leveraging collaborations for innovation, risk management, developing joint communication strategies, and exploring emerging partnership trends.

Choosing The Right Partner


Choosing the right partner begins by aligning with your strategic goals and desired outcomes. For instance, if you aim to reach a new audience or explore innovation in a different category, consider the M&M’s and Krispy Kreme collaboration. M&M’s excels in leveraging consumer insights for flavor innovations. Their partnership with Krispy Kreme has ventured into an entirely new category with new flavors, showcasing how their brand’s strength can lead to expansion into uncharted territory.

It’s crucial to assess potential partners for their brand alignment and their track record of successful collaborations. Look for partners with a record of delivering value and achieving mutually beneficial objectives. Building strong brand partnerships is about shared goals, innovation, and a commitment to creating something exceptional together.

Effective Partnerships Strategies


The path to successful brand partnerships lies in forging long-term partnerships rooted in alignment from the beginning. This alignment must extend from the highest echelons, including the CEO level, to every individual within the organization who interacts with the partnership. It’s crucial that everyone understands the decision-making process in both companies, identifying influencers and decision-makers and comprehending the timeline down to the smallest details, all of which fosters trust.

A great approach is where the team managing the partner relationship remains engaged throughout the organization. This helps maintain focus on the partnership and its priorities. This is important when dealing with complex partnerships that span various aspects of both organizations. Regular check-ins at the day-to-day level, occurring at least weekly, if not more frequently, along with quarterly check-ins at the senior level and annual check-ins at the executive/CEO level, help maintain alignment and coordination between two organizations, each with its unique set of priorities and governing boards.

Seek out local, national, or global partners who resonate with your brand’s core values and share your mission. A good example of this is Make-A-Wish and Disney. This partnership goes back to 1980 when the first wish granted was a trip to Disneyland. Now, wishes include visits throughout the Walt Disney organization. This partnership works because they align on their values, giving children happiness through a wish.

Together, craft a collaborative plan that centers on clear objectives. Achieving alignment in messaging is paramount, as clarity in what you intend to communicate can make all the difference. The work invested upfront matters greatly, as it lays the foundation for success, ensuring that both parties derive significant value from the collaboration.

For instance, consider crafting a three-year plan. Year one focuses on executing joint programs, while year two involves refining and developing initiatives. By year three, the partnership matures, providing a clear trajectory for both organizations. Initiating a successful venture early in the partnership can be a powerful demonstration of the collaboration’s potential.

Leveraging Partnerships For Innovation


Leveraging partnerships to drive innovation is a strategic approach that can catapult organizations to new heights. By joining forces, businesses access fresh perspectives, expertise, and resources that can fuel creative thinking and spark innovation. It starts with both sides clearly defining their objectives and what success entails, enabling the exchange of ideas, technologies, and best practices within an environment conducive to breakthroughs.

A compelling example of this is Coca-Cola’s quest to innovate its fountain business. Surprisingly, they chose to partner with a design firm associated with Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer. The result was a remarkable soda machine that can be found in restaurants, allowing customers to craft their beverages from a plethora of options. It boasts sleek design, innovation, and user-friendliness, focusing on enhancing the customer experience while providing valuable flavor trend insights. This is an exemplary instance of identifying a customer pain point within a company and strategically seeking partnerships to revolutionize and address it effectively. In this case, they disrupted the conventional soda dispensing machine, achieving transformative results.

Mitigating Risks


When considering partnerships, it’s important to consider the potential for unforeseen challenges and each organization’s tolerance for risk. For instance, when partnering with a celebrity, there’s a risk of them getting involved in a DUI or other PR-related issues. Similarly, if your partner has a history of brand tarnishment, executive scandals, or financial instability, these factors can pose risks to the partnership. A notable example is Adidas, which faced a significant stock price plummet due to Kanye West’s anti-Semitic remarks. Such events underscore the necessity of clearly defining exit strategies for both parties in the contract.

Establishing a mitigation plan is crucial. This involves carefully developing communication plans for both sides and determining the risk tolerance for each party. It’s important to assess the potential downsides and risks upfront. The COVID-19 pandemic presented organizations with unprecedented challenges, causing them to rethink their partnerships, especially with universities or sports teams no longer playing in front of live audiences. The impressions they once relied upon were significantly diminished. Handling these issues often required renegotiating contracts or making alternative arrangements.

Navigating these mitigating risks can be daunting for someone new to brand partnerships. In such cases, seeking guidance from experienced partners in similar, if not identical, categories can be invaluable. Engaging with organizations with extensive experience in long-term partnerships and asking them about their experience can provide valuable insights. Questions such as what has worked for them, what hasn’t, and what they would do differently, if they were to draft the contract today can shed light on potential pitfalls to watch out for.

When it comes to brand partnerships, it’s about envisioning the positives and being proactive in assessing and mitigating potential negatives. Planning for contingencies and learning from the experiences of others in the field can help navigate the complex landscape of partnerships successfully.

Crafting Joint Communication Strategies


Sometimes, the smallest details can have the most significant impact. A joint communications strategy is one such detail that often goes unnoticed until it becomes an issue.

Picture this: You’ve invested time and effort into a well-thought-out messaging strategy, only to discover that your partner isn’t on board, even when presented with compelling supporting reasons. The key lies in pre-planning what you want to communicate, how you plan to leverage the partnership, the intended use of your communication efforts, and the value it brings to both partners. There are several factors to consider and prepare for well in advance.

Emerging Trends


One intriguing trend on the horizon involves cause-based naming rights. A great example is the Climate Pledge Arena where Amazon invested approximately $300 to $400 million for the naming rights to the new Seattle hockey arena but opted not to put its name on it. Instead, they included a clause emphasizing the arena’s purpose, which resonates with a growing shift towards promoting causes over merely affixing one’s name to a building. This trend holds promise as it places a greater emphasis on contributing to meaningful causes rather than adding more obscure or inconsequential names to structures.

Another area poised for significant evolution is the landscape of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for college athletes. The rules of engagement are still taking shape, and all parties involved—student-athletes, universities, and brands—are defining what this space will look like. College athletes typically lack substantial name recognition and awareness beyond their local market and university affiliation. However, there exists an opportunity for universities to form partnerships with their athletes. Some have already demonstrated adeptness at building sponsorship portfolios, such as Libby Dunne, a prominent American gymnast, who ranked as the highest-valued women’s college athlete in 2022 and has since become a social media influencer. Managing these partnerships can be a challenging task for a 20-year-old student, aligning with a brand’s values and mission. Both students and brands should consider the long-term implications. A student’s time in college is relatively short; post-graduation, they may pursue various paths—turning professional, maintaining their influencer status, coaching, or venturing into business. It’s a lot to expect a 20-year-old to manage the way a brand would manage a partnership that wasn’t aligned with its values and mission. Brands must be prepared to adapt to these transitions, recognizing the enduring value of maintaining a relationship with these influential individuals as they continue to command a substantial following. The realm of NIL rights for college athletes is still in the process of unfolding, offering a dynamic and evolving landscape.

In conclusion, successful strategic brand partnerships culminate in aligning goals, managing relationships, mitigating risks, crafting effective communication, and embracing emerging trends. By understanding these crucial elements, brands can confidently navigate the intricate landscape of partnerships, unlocking endless possibilities for innovation, growth, and lasting success.

For a step-by-step guide on developing a brand strategy, check out How To Develop a Brand Strategy by Lisa Perry. For more brand marketing insights, follow Lisa Perry.

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How To Achieve Successful Strategic Partnerships

How To Achieve Successful Strategic Partnerships



In the ever-evolving business landscape, branding has been vital for long-term growth and success. While it is widely acknowledged that branding plays a crucial role in building recognition and reputation, there are instances where businesses have yet to experience initial success without extensive branding efforts.

This article delves into the notion that while branding may not always be a prerequisite for achieving initial success in certain scenarios, it becomes increasingly essential for sustained growth and establishing a strong foothold in the market. By exploring both sides of the argument, I aim to shed light on the nuanced relationship between branding and business success, highlighting the significance of branding in ensuring long-term prosperity and navigating the challenges of a competitive marketplace.

Let's look at a few reasons why branding is not an absolute necessity for success, but its absence may limit long-term growth potential:

Short-Term Success


Long term and short term concept

Some companies can experience initial success without a well-developed brand strategy, leveraging word-of-mouth, viral marketing, fleeting trends, or unique circumstances. However, it’s important to note that this overnight success type is often short-lived and lacks sustainability without effective branding. While initial buzz or popularity can bring attention to a business, branding efforts help establish a solid foundation for long-term success by differentiating the business and building a strong customer base.

I had the opportunity to assist a nutritional start-up that experienced rapid growth in the first two years, with 130,000 customers and two million bottles sold globally for its hangover prevention product. Unfortunately, the company faced a downturn when sales began to stagnate. I conducted comprehensive analyses to understand the underlying causes, encompassing competitive and market evaluation, consumer trend assessments, and data analytics. Upon examination, it became apparent that the company had disrupted the market with its innovative product and had established dominance in its category, garnering significant attention and success. However, as competition emerged, it faced a challenge as its competitors easily replicated its offerings due to a lack of unique differentiation. This lack of distinctiveness proved detrimental to the business. Furthermore, the company's unclear value proposition, inadequate positioning, and inconsistent messaging further contributed to customer confusion and ultimately led to a decline in sales.

The absence of a well-defined branding strategy underscored the need for its development to overcome the challenges faced by the company, highlighting the crucial role of effective branding in achieving sustained success.

Niche Markets


Niche market concept

Businesses operating in certain niche markets or local communities can experience thriving success without heavily investing in branding efforts. Personal relationships, referrals, and local reputation can play a significant role in generating business, reducing the immediate need for branding efforts. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that the absence of branding can hinder revenue generation, profitability, and the creation of long-term value when faced with competition. Without a strong brand, businesses may struggle to adapt to market changes, expand their operations, and attract investment opportunities essential for sustained growth and success.

A compelling example of this is my experience working in the cannabis industry. As competition in the market increased, larger corporations entered the scene, and more states legalized recreational cannabis, it became increasingly challenging for niche brands to remain competitive. The cannabis company I worked for strategically pursued mergers, acquisitions, and brand licensing deals as part of its business strategy. Once these smaller niche brands were acquired, it became apparent that some had lost their competitive edge. To address this, I conducted a comprehensive business and financial analysis, competitive analysis, market trend mining, and internal capabilities audit. This allowed us to develop a strategic brand portfolio architecture strategy by evaluating each brand’s strategic role and determining whether to divest, invest, harvest, or maintain the brand. Implementing this brand strategy increased revenue and profitability, ultimately leading to the company’s acquisition.

Although businesses can experience initial success in niche markets without extensive branding efforts, it is crucial to consider the long-term benefits and strategic advantages of effective branding. In an evolving and competitive landscape, businesses need to recognize the value of branding to thrive and sustain their growth.

Established Brand Reputation


Brands concept

In the ever-evolving business landscape, some companies have relied on their established reputation for years, only to face declining sales when market dynamics, industry trends, and consumer preferences shift. As market competition intensifies and the importance of ROI in marketing efforts grows, effective branding has become a necessity for organizations.

While traditional reputation and word-of-mouth may have sufficed in the past, businesses now require a strategic approach to branding to differentiate themselves, communicate their unique value proposition, and establish trust with diverse stakeholders. By investing in branding initiatives, companies can position themselves strategically, target specific customer segments, and gain a distinct competitive advantage.

A case in point is my experience working for a private, non-profit business school in the highly competitive higher education landscape. Struggling with declining enrollment, we conducted a comprehensive analysis, uncovering a lack of differentiation compared to competitors. Through deep engagement with students, alumni, and faculty, the school's strength in equipping students to become world leaders emerged. Armed with these insights, a repositioning strategy was executed, reviving the school's brand identity after 22 years and launching an impactful marketing campaign, "Best for the World Leaders." The results were remarkable, with the highest enrollment in 13 years and a notable 30% increase in awareness.

This success exemplifies the transformative impact of effective branding, showcasing how identifying a unique point of differentiation and leveraging it through repositioning strategies can drive significant outcomes. In a changing market, organizations must embrace branding as a powerful tool to differentiate themselves, attract customers, and achieve long-term success.

In conclusion, while there may be instances where businesses experience initial success without extensive branding efforts, it is crucial to recognize the long-term benefits and strategic advantages of effective branding. Branding plays a vital role in building recognition, reputation, and differentiation in a competitive market. It helps businesses adapt to changes, expand operations, attract investments, and sustain growth. As the business landscape continues to evolve, investing in branding is increasingly necessary to thrive and establish a strong foothold. Whether it is developing a unique value proposition, cultivating customer relationships, or differentiating from competitors, branding is an essential component for long-term success in today's dynamic marketplace.

For a step-by-step guide on how to develop a brand strategy, check out How To Develop a Brand Strategy by Lisa Perry. For more brand marketing insights, follow Lisa Perry.

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Beyond The Myth: Why Effective Branding Is …

7 Powerful Ways To Inspire Emotion With Storytelling



Have you watched an advertisement that made you cry, got you angry, or gave you goosebumps? Rihanna’s Road to Halftime ad gave fans everywhere goosebumps. Apple Music is the new sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime show in a new multi-year agreement with the NFL. They just gave fans an alternative way to experience this event with headliner Rihanna, calling it “Rihanna’s Road to Halftime.”

In building excitement ahead of Super Bowl LVII, Apple released an ad that paid tribute to the singer’s childhood in Barbados titled “Run This Town.” The ad tells a great story, following a girl who puts on her mother’s sunglasses and struts down the street, going past Rihanna’s childhood home and along Rihanna Drive, renamed in 2017 to honor her success. It ends with the girl and her friends flying kites with the message, “My whole life was shaped on this very road. I was just a little island girl flying kites in the cemetery…but I had big dreams.” Rhianna said she represents immigrants, her country Barbados, and black women everywhere for Super Bowl LVII.

What’s truly amazing about this story is that we watched the first pregnant woman perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, with no special guests, saying loud and proud that a pregnant woman can handle this. She then opened with the song "B… Better Have My Money" which was inspired by a real-life experience of an accountant that cheated her of her money. In one decade she became a billionaire. She opened with that song on her own stage, pregnant, with no special guests, and closed with the song "Diamonds" (she has all the diamonds) on top of a stunning product placement of her Fenty brand, all while grabbing the attention of 113 million viewers. Rihanna is the wealthiest female musician in the world (worth $1.7 billion), second only to Oprah Winfrey. This is no small feat!

Knowing Rhianna’s story makes this ad, this Super Bowl Halftime Show, and her brand much more interesting and relatable. When stories resonate and connect with us, they trigger an emotion in us that leads to the formation of a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your brand. This is called emotional branding.

Let’s take a look at what emotional branding is and how to inspire emotion with storytelling.

What Is Emotional Branding?


Did you know that people buy emotionally, even if they don’t realize it, and then justify their decisions rationally? Fifty percent of brand experiences are based on emotions. Creating an emotional bond with consumers requires more than good marketing.

Emotional branding refers to creating a deep emotional connection between your consumers and your brand. Marketers can achieve this by appealing to consumers’ natural desire for love, power, emotional security, and ego gratification.

At the heart of emotional branding is storytelling. So how do you inspire emotion with storytelling?

Inspire Emotion With Storytelling


We all have a story to tell. Great stories can connect with audiences on a deeper, more memorable level, creating more meaningful relationships. Here are five ways that storytelling can be used to inspire emotions.

Make The Audience The Hero


One effective way to inspire emotion with storytelling is to make the audience the story’s hero. This can be achieved by crafting a narrative that resonates with the audience’s experiences, values, and aspirations. By doing so, the audience will become emotionally invested in the story and feel empowered to take action or make a positive change. To achieve this, the story should highlight the audience’s strengths and potential while also acknowledging their challenges and struggles. By portraying the audience as the hero, the story can inspire them to overcome obstacles, pursue their dreams, and make a difference in their lives and the world around them.

Drive Empathy


To inspire emotion with storytelling by driving empathy, it’s important to create characters that the audience can relate to and care about. This can be achieved by showing the character’s struggles, fears, and desires in a way that resonates with the audience. By creating a sense of empathy between the audience and the characters, the story can evoke powerful emotions and create a lasting impact.

Another way to drive empathy is to use descriptive language and vivid imagery to create a sensory experience for the audience. By appealing to the audience’s senses, the story can create a more immersive and emotional experience, helping them feel more connected to the story and its characters. It’s vital to use storytelling to break down barriers and connect with the audience on a human level. By sharing stories that are honest, vulnerable, and authentic, the audience can feel a sense of kinship with the storyteller and the characters in the story. This can help to drive empathy and create a powerful emotional response.

Make It Emotional


To harness emotions with storytelling, it’s essential to understand the emotional journey that you want to take your audience on. First, build tension by creating a sense of anticipation and excitement in your audience by building up to a moment of emotional impact. This can be achieved by using suspenseful language, foreshadowing, or cliffhangers. Second, create an emotional impact by contrasting emotions. For example, you could start with a moment of sadness or despair and then follow it up with a moment of hope or triumph. This can create a more powerful emotional response in your audience. Third, use repetition (repeating a phrase or image throughout your story) to develop a sense of familiarity and emotional resonance with your audience. Fourth, use symbols that are universally understood to create a deeper emotional connection with your audience. Fifth, use music and sound effects to create a more immersive experience.

Build Suspense


Suspense is a powerful tool in storytelling that can be used to create an emotional impact on the audience. By building tension and anticipation, the audience becomes emotionally invested in the story, eager to discover what happens next. This can be achieved by establishing high stakes for the characters, using foreshadowing, creating a sense of mystery, using cliffhangers, and varying the story’s pacing. Using these techniques, the audience is taken on an emotional journey, experiencing a range of emotions such as excitement, fear, and anticipation. When the suspenseful moment is finally resolved, the emotional releases can be cathartic and rewarding, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.

Be Vulnerable


Embrace vulnerability in your storytelling. It’s important to share personal experiences authentically and honestly. By sharing stories that reflect your vulnerabilities, you can create an emotional connection with your audience. This connection is often built on the common ground of shared experiences and emotions, which can help your audience to empathize and relate to your story. Use descriptive language, describing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures to create an immersive experience to draw your audience in and help them to feel the emotions that you’re describing. Also, allow yourself to be seen as imperfect, flawed, or uncertain. By showing your own vulnerability, you create a sense of authenticity and honesty that can be very powerful for your audience. It can also develop a sense of connection and empathy, as your audience can see themselves in your story.

Don’t forget to be courageous in your vulnerability. By sharing your personal experiences and emotions, you’re opening yourself up to the possibility of rejection, criticism, or judgment. However, by being brave and sharing your vulnerability, you create a space for others to do the same, which can be very powerful and healing for you and your audience.

Visual Storytelling


Use descriptive language to create a vivid picture in your audience’s mind. This can help your audience to better visualize and feel the emotions that you’re describing. One way to use visual language is to paint a picture with your words. Use descriptive language to create a detailed picture in your audience’s mind, focusing on the sensory details that help to develop a sense of atmosphere and emotion. For example, instead of saying, “The sun was setting,” you could say, “The sun was casting a warm, orange glow across the sky as it slowly descended towards the horizon.” This kind of description helps to create a sense of warmth, peace, and tranquility and can help evoke a sense of emotion in your audience.

Another way to use visual language is to create a metaphor or analogy that helps your audience to understand better the feeling that you’re describing. For example, you could say, “Her heart was a heavy stone, sinking deeper and deeper into her chest with each passing moment.” This kind of language can help your audience to better understand the emotion of sadness and can make it easier for them to empathize with the character in your story.

By following these steps, you can develop a strong emotional connection with your audience through inspiring storytelling. If done right, you can increase brand loyalty, enhance your brand’s overall equity, drive more qualified leads, and increase your customer retention rate. For a step-by-step guide on how to develop a brand strategy, check out my book How to Develop A Brand Strategy. Start building your brand leadership today. You’ve got this.

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7 Powerful Ways To Inspire Emotion With …

5 Ways Your Brand Can Connect Through Storytelling



Brand storytelling is an integral part of a brand’s identity and the way to communicate its personality. It is the ability to tell stories about your brand that build trust, loyalty, and advocacy with your customers.

Sound Like You


Authenticity always comes through. Make sure you're telling stories that make sense for your brand and its culture. It does you a disservice to sound like someone else or worse—multiple people. It can be confusing to customers when they get mixed personalities for one brand. Brands that don't use their brand voice sound the same as everyone else and get lost in a sea of sameness. Use every opportunity you can to infuse your content with more you. Need help figuring that out, let me know—I can help.

Share Sneak Peeks And Behind-The-Scenes


Share a sneak peek about how something is made, or behind-the-scenes content with the people on your team just being people. Let your audience see your company culture doing its thing. Shining a spotlight on the humans who keep your brand running not only lets customers see more of your story, it makes employees feel valued and respected, and that they are part of a true team. You already have product experts on your team—tap them to help you create content that they know customers are looking for. They are solving your customers' pain points daily and can probably provide more content ideas than you imagine.

Use All Of Your Real Estate


Every touchpoint is an opportunity to tell a little more of your brand story. Your website, your packaging, and even something mundane as a confirmation message or a 404 error is an opportunity to say something in your brand voice. USE IT! Every touchpoint with your customer should be consistent. If you are funny on the website, be funny on the 404 too, why not?

It's A Two-Way Street


Sharing your brand story and message is important, but having an actual conversation with your customers can be a game-changer. Sometimes, it can be as simple as asking a question. Why spend hours trying to figure out what your audience wants to see when you can ask them, and incorporate them into the process? It is a win-win for everyone. Your audience gets relevant, personalized content, and your brand gets an engaged audience and original content for practically nothing. Using customer-generated content shows you value their opinions and experience and helps connect them to your brand.

Turn Spreadsheets Into Stories


Check the data—a powerful tool you may have not even thought to use but can tell a compelling story is data. What? How do I turn spreadsheets into stories? Start by looking for patterns. Look for what is missing. Look for relationships. Data can come from internal sources like customer surveys, sales data, or even website analytics. For example, seeing what people respond to online or knowing the most searched FAQ data can help you see what your customers are looking for from you. If you cant use internal sources try to find reliable external sources like Pew Research or do a search for topic-specific sources.

There are lots of other ways to tell your brand story. Whatever you do, make sure your messaging is consistent with your brand and its culture, and use your voice to stand out and be authentically you.

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5 Ways Your Brand Can Connect Through …

The Benefits Of Slowing Down



I was recently on a group call and one of the designers chirped that she churns out a new website for her clients every other day. I was blown away. Just floored. That is a LOT of work to get done in two workdays. And that included a logo! I have been doing this for quite a while and I started to wonder am I a dinosaur unable to keep up with kids fresh out of school? Is this where it is all headed? I had a lot of questions. What was she using to get all of this done so quickly? Are there new tools I just don't know about yet? So. Many. Questions.

Upon further investigation and a round of 21 questions, I discovered that pretty much every aspect of our businesses is totally different. Neither one was better or worse, just very different. For starters, our clientele is 100% completely different, as is our process, pricing, even our client experiences. My clients have established businesses that have been around for a few years. They are looking to invest in and level up their branding to something bespoke and completely custom. Meanwhile, her clients were mostly in their mid-20s and just getting started with a small business. Their primary need was the basic nuts and bolts to get up and running; they didn't care about custom icons or a style guide or even if there was a strategy behind it all. And THAT is one of the things I both love and hate about the design business.

You can't always compare apples to apples, so it is important to find the branding (and hopefully strategy) person that will suit your needs and not just go on price. If you requested a quote from both of us you might be very surprised at the price difference. My branding and strategy packages start at 10K and take 2-3 months vs. her packages start at $800 include website and logo, done in 2 days. All that said to illustrate that there are lots of ways to get to the destination… but like I said, I am taking the scenic route because I know the benefits of slowing down.

You Get To Sit With It For A While


My process for branding and strategy starts with research and discovery. At this point, I am learning everything I can about my client's goals, vision for their brand, and what their ideal customer looks like. I am looking for interesting details of the founder's journey that can help tell a meaningful story to their customers. Having a longer process allows me to dig a bit deeper in the research phase, and marinate a bit longer with that information. The end result of all that cook time is that when I distill that information down into their brand strategy, it is filled with meaningful information and useful details. This strategy is the foundation for the design work. So clients know that every design decision we make together is rooted in strategy.

A Client-Friendly Timeline


Brand strategy (and most client projects) rely heavily on client feedback and information. If you work with smaller businesses like I tend to do, the person guiding those decisions, and providing feedback, is often also very busy running the business. A longer timeline allows them the time they need to really reflect on their answers and make sure they have time to digest our work together—we don't want to rush something as important as branding. The longer timeline allows for an immersive process that feels more luxe and client focused. Additionally, I think involving the client more allows them to appreciate and really see the value in the process.

Getting Detailed


I look at branding as a significant investment, much more than just a logo. I take a holistic approach to the process. My clients understand that I am not working on multiple client branding simultaneously. I work on one branding project at a time, and my price reflects that one-on-one service. The end result is grounded in strategy and built to be flexible enough to use for years to come. It is a comprehensive brand guide, and the specific pieces of collateral that will make the most impact for their business. And then, I even show clients how to use all of the elements at their disposal. Including how to relaunch the brand with their new look. A few months sounds long, but clients seem to truly appreciate not rushing through the process.

While my "slow" process may not be for everyone, I think it highlights the importance of right-fitting when choosing a branding professional to work with. When in doubt ask about their process. Working with the right designer for you can be the difference between a frustrating situation or an amazing brand identity to grow your business with.

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The Benefits Of Slowing Down

Emotional Branding: Marketing To The Heart

People buy emotionally, even if they don’t realize it, and then justify their decision rationally. In fact, 50% of brand experiences are based on emotions. Creating an emotional bond with consumers requires more than good marketing. Let’s dive deeper into what emotional branding is, the advantages, an example, and how to start creating this for your organization. Listen To The […]

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

Emotional Branding: Marketing To The Heart