Brand builders like to tell you that marketing is storytelling. Maybe.
The thing is, some stories are better than others. Some tales touch your heart—or open your wallet or sway your vote—more absolutely than others.
For every Mahabharata, a thousand lesser tales died. For every Old Spice spot, a hundred Go Daddies bit the dust.
Brand stories that get it right
Here are three brands that use classic narrative building blocks to create powerful stories:
- Budweiser: Heart, heritage and horses. In this Bud story, the heroes are horses. We root for the plucky Clydesdale foal—and the wise, old geldings that make his journey possible.
- Steve Jobs: Prodigal Son. An orphan savant drops out of college, takes a calligraphy class and goes on to create the world’s most beautiful—and revolutionary—digital products.
- Chrysler Detroit Resurgam: I shall rise again. With Eminem and the gritty people of Detroit we travel “to hell and back”—in a Chrysler.
What’s your brand story?
You don’t have to be a household name to create a strong brand story. Brands are created by stories over time.
As a blogger, you have the luxury of time: You can create, collect and curate useful content that, over time, builds trust and creates a memorable brand.
Are you using narrative structure in your copywriting to draw and engage listeners? Do you aim to weave storytelling elements into your content—your blog posts, emails, website content and traditional marketing materials?
What else? Have you discovered other ways to tell your story over time? Please share.