Modern marketing tells stories. Trends in advertising have been heavily influenced by storytelling over the past few years.

Your storytelling skills are often key to the success of these campaigns. We’ll be discussing the concept of a brand story. They will be described, illustrated, and explained why you need one for your business.

Let’s get started!

What is a Brand Story? What is a Brand Story? Why should you use one?

Storytelling can be a powerful way for your brand to come alive, and should be an integral part of any marketing plan. It is just as important as a clear mission statement and a quality logo. Perhaps even more so!

There are many stories that can be told in marketing. However, the purpose of a brand story for your brand is to give it a vibrant background and relatable meaning. When consumers are considering your products, a great brand story can provide an artistic backdrop. You’ll be able to make your brand memorable for customers over the long-term by telling a compelling brand story.

Marketers need to know this:

• Your brand is creating a narrative, without or with your intervention.

• Brand stories can be positive or negatively, and they can last for many years.

• You can give your products and services an identity and capture and share the stories to take your audience on a memorable trip.

• To create a personal connection between your brand and consumers, stories about the company must be authentic, creative, inspiring.

These points are all great, but they’re a little vague. Let’s take a closer look.

What makes a great brand story?

Brand stories don’t have to be factual. The best brands will be: 

• Motivate employees both within and outside of your organization
• Showcase what your brand stands up for
• Include an introduction, crisis, and resolution.
• Your target market will relate to you
• Help your company find the perfect customer

Advertising noise that does not belong in your brand story is equally important. These are the things you should avoid:

• Your business’s age
• Your internal sales goals
• A sales pitch
• Blatant product advertisement
• Value comparisons and price information

These “dos & don’ts” provide us with some great guidelines, but very little inspiration. Let’s look at some great examples to get your creative juices flowing.

We love these brand story examples

Lady of Honey Bunches of Oats 

Since 2002, Post cereal has used Diana Hunter’s human stories as a way to create a positive brand story for Honey Bunches of Oats. Hunter, a real employee, has shared her day and joked about how she smelled like a factory when grocery shopping.

She’s a human being who makes rhymes and entertains us, without ever mentioning nutrition or the price. She’s not a supermodel. She’s relatable. Honey Bunches of Oats is appealing because Hunter is a great person to work with. Her American accent and infectious laugh add the perfect finishing touch to the Honey Bunches of Oats experience.

This brand story shows us how amazing it is to work in a cereal plant. It also shows how beautiful it smells. And it inspires a sense of patriotism. Honey Bunches of Oats may not be the most economically-friendly cereal on the market but it is delicious and domestic.

Juan Valdez & His Trusty Mule, Conchita

Juan Valdez, his mule Conchita, and Juan Valdez are at the opposite end of the truth spectrum. They are completely fictional, unlike Diana Hunter!

The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (a non-profit association) serves over 500,000 Colombian coffee farmers. Most of these are family farms. In 1959, they created Mr. Valdez & Conchita to tell the story of rich Colombian coffee-growing tradition.

Hunter is a real person who works at a modern plant. Juan Valdez, however, tells a much more symbolic story. His image is likened to the Johnny Appleseed of coffee and inspires great pride among Colombians all over the world.

• He is a cultural icon in South and Central America and a prominent figure in pop culture.

• His story is about dedication and a love for coffee beans. His audience feels warm and friendly from him.

• Juan Valdez’s early rise to tend to his coffee crop has been a favorite of audiences for decades.

• We admire his determination and grit, and are happy to support the “Juan Valdezes” of Colombia.

Juan Valdez does not speak about the prices of coffee products or the caffeine content. His story does not claim to offer a solution for coffee drinkers or expand on coffee quality. The brand story is one that celebrates tradition.

Juan Valdez Cafes can be found all over the globe. Juan Valdez customers know that a portion from every purchase of coffee through Juan Valdez goes to Colombian coffee growers. We feel connected to them through our inspiring brand story.

We’ve given you some examples of brand stories that are worth mentioning. Let’s now talk about how WEBITMD can help you to create compelling narratives to reach your goals.

WeBITMD – Create Your Brand Story

We can help you create a brand story that identifies the right customers for your brand. The WEBITMD growth stack is our unique approach. It includes everything from brand awareness to education. The Growth Stack combines modern marketing strategies and tactics to help you drive measurable business growth. It is focused on your bottom line. Our clients can focus on their businesses. We help them grow.

The WEBITMD Growth Stack will:

• Don’t waste time or resources on the wrong audience. Instead, focus on your ideal customer base.

• Establish a lasting, emotional connection with prospects. 

• Customers should love your brand. Customers will look at more than price when evaluating the value of your products.

A compelling and meaningful brand story will make your product stand out among the rest. It is a place where customers can find positive, persuasive content. This will result in a higher ROI for advertising campaigns, better conversion rates and loyal customers who will return to your brand over and over again.

We can help you, whether you have great ideas or are at your worst.