Day 12 – Brand Story
Today is the end of the working calendar year. Holiday! Subconsciously I want to just chill out and not do anything!
But no, I have committed to writing. So I write. It’s a bit of a hack tonight and I am leaving it at that. Will complete it tomorrow. It is another very important chapter of the book. I cannot rush it.
I will share my rough work. A fleshy outline. And a diagram I use in my webinar, presentations and program.
Brand Story
Brand story is far more than a tagline. It’s more than a marketing message. It is the sum of all interactions with a brand for the entirety of the customer journey ~ me!
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Exposure to brand story is piece meal
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We start with minimal awareness
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As our interest is piqued because of an alignment or aspiration we embark on the journey of increasing that awareness.
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Exposure to more of the brand and its culture adds to the brand story we are assembling in our mind
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Until at a point, where alignment has reached the trust factor big enough to become a customer.
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Then the real opportunity begins. Induction as a customer. The culture of the brand through its delivery on the promise of all they offer. Their values, purpose and impact made real.
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It is about the moments. The language of those moments. The connection made. Empathy. Alignment. Co-creation of impact.
- Story is a journey
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Culture is brand
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The elements that contribute to strong culture are:
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Shared Vision – common BHAG
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Purpose – all rallying behind this objective
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Values Alignment – the values that individuals bring to work align with the core values of the brand
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Impact Model – befitting of your product/service, purpose and people
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Mission Alignment – there’s nothing contradictory from any part of your business or supply chain
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Story Framework – for flawless service & delivery with story embedded
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Stakeholder Investment – top to bottom buy in of the brand culture & story
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Formula
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Golden Story flow – an awareness and experience journey. A journey of empathy, trust building, connection and moment building.
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The customer as the hero in the journey
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Provide the ideal moment. The right brand story bite information, brand language, offer at each customer journey marker
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Impact Brand Story Advantage
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Co-creation of impact creates an invested customer.
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Inducting invested customer into the storytelling language empowers them to share their impact
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Mission Alignment – Authenticity or Death
Mission misalignment negatively impacts all who encounter it, especially your team.
When there is misalignment, it causes disengagement. The result is the loss of that team member’s creative and discretionary energy. It eats away at your culture.
From a brand story perspective, authenticity and consistency is key for customers. Working to identify gaps that conflict with your brand story will ensure it is strong.
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Two parts:
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Review: Analysing all aspects of your organisation to identify any misalignment
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Design: Shaping what your organisation does and how it does it, to authentically realise your purpose and values
There are a few models to align with. For instance UN Sustainable Development Goals, Conscious Capitalism tenets, and B Corp Certification.
As a Certified B Corp I lean towards the B Corp Certification. Do the full B Corp assessment. It is free to do, unless you decide you want to certify, and I highly recommend it.
Nice diagram! I will explain it in a future post/chapter etc.
I am done for tonight! Target word count kind of met.
Warmly,
Luke
luke I'm Luke Faccini, a brand storyteller and strategist in Brisbane Australia.
I help conscious business people articulate and tell their authentic brand story to connect with their tribe. I love branding, business, and people with purpose.
My purpose is Helping Good Businesses Become Better Brands.
