How to Craft an Engaging Brand Story

We have increasingly seen a number of brands struggling to find their way. They have lost touch with their customers and become another faceless corporate entity. While there are many reasons for this (read our blog post for more), one is they haven’t paid enough attention to building a strong brand. One of the first steps to that is crafting an engaging brand story. It serves as the foundation for the rest of your branding efforts. Skipping the effort to create an engaging brand story is like building a house without a foundation. Without one, all your branding efforts will be shaky and in disarray.

Having the right brand story that is engaging and authentic is critical. Creating one might seem simplistic due to its short length, but there is actually a lot to it. Go about it the wrong way, and you will make a brand story that is as well-received as the movie “Cats.” However, if you do it right, you will build a bond with your customers and attract even more. So, let’s guide you through how to create an engaging brand story to keep your brand on track. In the following blog, we will discuss:

• The difference between a brand’s identity and story.
• Why a brand story is critically important.
• The vital elements of a brand story.
• Tips for the next steps after the creation of your brand story.

Brand Identity Vs. Brand Story

We need to start by explaining the differences between brand identity and brand story. The purpose of both is the same: to form a connection with your customers. Because they have identical goals, they are often confused as the same thing. However, while the two do support each other, there are differences between them. They might seem subtle, but they are important.

The easiest way to think about both is that your brand identity is “who” your brand is. In contrast, your brand story is how your brand got here. Both need to be authentic (read our blog post on how to build an authentic brand identity), original, value-based, customer-centric and truthful. However, creating a brand story is an entirely different process than crafting a brand identity. Read on for more details.

What Makes a Brand Story Effective

Think of that Netflix or television series you just binge-watched because you couldn’t take your eyes off the screen. Why did you spend the last six hours Velcroed to your couch eating way too much popcorn? The chances are high that it wasn’t because you were watching The Rock fight a CGI albino gorilla (yes, this is an actual thing). More than likely, it was because whatever you were watching was an expertly written story told in a highly engaging manner. Hit series like “Shogun” and “American Primeval” are perfect examples of that. While they might seem complex, boiled down to their essence, all of these epic stories share a few key elements. And if you want to create an engaging brand story, those same elements need to be included. They are:

• A Genesis: Whether it is barely clinging to life John Blackthorne and his ship making landfall in Shogun or Sara and young Devin Rowell wandering into the brutality of Fort Bridger in American Primeval, all epic stories need a great opening scene. The same is true for your brand story. Go back to how your company started and relay its genesis to your customers. People want to know what led to the creation of your band and it is a great opportunity to show the human side of your company.
• A Problem: Every great story has some kind of problem to solve. It might be surviving the brutality of the Wild West or navigating the complexities of feudal Japan while hopefully avoiding seppuku. What you are solving might not be as dramatic, but it is just as important. That is because the problem you are solving is actually your customers’ problem. The whole reason for creating your business was to solve this problem and improve your customers’ lives.
• A Struggle: While most of us aren’t big fans of it personally, everyone loves on-screen adversity. Your brand story should have some struggles, too. Maybe your first prototype exploded, or you had to max out your credit cards for the brand to survive. Some might try to avoid mentioning failure, but it shows you are passionate about your products and those who buy them. It helps to humanize your brand and build a connection with your customers.
• Perseverance: Every story needs a great ending about how the main characters overcame adversity to solve the problems they faced. Your brand story is not that different. However, the exception is that you overcame and solved your customers’ issues with whatever products or services your brand offers.

Don’t Make Your Own Version of “Logistics”

Have you ever heard of “Logistics”? Probably not, and for good reason. It is the longest movie ever made at a staggering 857 hours long. Watching “Logistics” straight through is only for the totally committed binger, as it would take 35 days and 17 hours to complete. Shockingly (and this would be in a sarcastic font if there were one), the movie was not a hit.

It is probably not a headscratcher that most people don’t have that much time or patience to spare. The same can be said for your brand story. To be an engaging brand story, yours should be succinct, easily digestible and relatively short. You are writing one or possibly two paragraphs at the maximum, not a miniseries. The surprise is that telling your brand story in a shorter format is often more challenging than making a longer one.

Avoid Questionable AI Programs and Online Templates

Since brand stories are relatively short, some might be tempted to use AI or readily available online templates. However, to have an effective brand story, it needs to be your story. Most of what these templates and AI bots produce are slight variations on existing brand stories. Like yet another half-baked and non-sensical Marvel sequel to a sequel, no one will be interested in a shoddy brand story. If you want to craft an engaging brand story, it must be original.

AI can help start the process. Here at Kahn Media, we use several AI programs to assist us (read our blog post to learn which ones). However, as we have discovered, whatever AI creates still needs a human touch. The same is true for your brand story. The last thing you want is one that reads like some low-budget AI made it.

Look for Inspiration (but Don’t Copy)

A great exercise is to examine the brand stories of other brands that you admire. Read them carefully and take notes of the elements in each one and how they were crafted. You will probably discover that there isn’t a rigid template for creating a brand story, with many brands doing their “own thing.” That flexibility is why this article is more of a guide than a step-by-step. However, it is important to stick somewhat to the script and not go completely on a tangent when creating your brand story.

Remember, being original is key to making your brand story engaging. While it is perfectly okay to be inspired by another brand’s story, don’t copy it.

Stay Consistent

One of our greatest disappointments in life is that we were never in the pitch meeting for “Joker: Folie a Deux.” Even better would have been to have attended the subsequent studio brainstorms about the film’s massive failure at the box office. Some still seem shocked at the dismal performance of the sequel to 2019’s “Joker,” a movie that grossed over $1 billion globally.

However, it shouldn’t be surprising as the sequel completely departs from the original. Somehow, a gritty and dark look at Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness that eventually turns him into the Joker morphed into an upbeat and whimsical musical. If the original movie was the brand story of the villain, the stuffily named “Joker: Folie a Deux” threw all of it into the trash. Most fans walked out of theaters confused and shocked. The lesson is that consistency matters, which also applies to your brand story. Do a 180 with your brand story, and the reaction among your customers will be the same as moviegoers to Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix doing duets.

Your Brand Story is Your Anchor

Your brand story is a lot more than something to dump into the “About Us” section of your website and forget about. It is not overly dramatic to say that your brand story is the anchor of your company. Every single one of your current employees should know it, and anyone you hire in the future needs to be familiar with it. It is not over the top to say that freelancers or subcontractors should also be aware of your brand story. This is especially true if they perform vital roles like social media management or content creation. Remember, crafting an effective brand story is just the first step. For it to be truly effective, everyone needs to know it.

Leverage Your Brand Story Across All Platforms

The next step to ensuring that everyone inside your company knows your brand story is to convey it to everyone outside of your brand. To do that properly, your brand story needs to be leveraged across your social posts, blogs, advertising, videos, email marketing and other forms of customer communication. You don’t have to make every post or piece of content completely focused on your brand story, as that would get old fast. However, carefully crafting an engaging brand story and then not telling anyone about it is pointless, so it should occasionally be part of the mix. Just as important is ensuring that everything you produce or post across all your platforms doesn’t contradict your brand’s story. Spread the word about your story while staying “on brand.”

Hire Professionals

Awesome writing is more than likely at the heart of every one of your favorite movies or streaming series. Yes, many other elements like cinematography, editing, sound design, directing and acting must be bang on too. However, without excellent writing, all that effort in other areas goes entirely out the window. The seemingly endless parade of big-budget Hollywood flops that invest lots of money into CGI and big-name actors but skimp on writing proves this point.

People respond to great writing, which is why hiring professionals to make your brand story makes sense. Crafting a brand story might seem simplistic, with only a few key elements and a relatively short length. However, crafting an engaging brand story is surprisingly challenging. If writing falls outside your wheelhouse, bringing in an expert makes even more sense.

We Can Help

At Kahn Media, we can help with all aspects of your branding. Whether your brand needs a slight retooling or a complete overhaul, our experienced brand strategy experts can guide you in the right direction. As a full-service agency, we can also support your rebranding efforts with a full suite of services. These include social media management, experiential events, public relations, digital marketing, content creation and influencer management. Contact us today to see what is possible and how we can help your brand grow.