Every brand has a message. That message can be communicated in a number of ways, and one of the most crucial tools in your brand messaging toolkit is one of the most simple. Storytelling.
We are hard-wired, as a species, to connect to stories. That is why some of the most effective teachers throughout history were master storytellers. We’ll quickly forget carefully-crafted statements, and even the most profound principles, but we’ll remember a compelling story – sometimes for decades. And even pass it down for generations.
How did your business come into existence? What was the process that led to its launch? Why do you now do what you do? What client need opened the door to a whole new venture that evolved into your brand? What made your brand survive over the years, when others faded?
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I thought about products and services I’ve used over the years. There’s Netscape Navigator, my first browser through which I experienced the Internet. How I loved seeing that big “N” symbol with the moving stars, as I first began to explore the early web! And how bummed out I was when Microsoft was able to overwhelm Netscape! Alas, Netscape Navigator, while a very positive brand, was not an enduring one.
Recently, I was at an evening meeting for a professional organization I work with, and a vendor company that was sponsoring the meeting was given a few minutes to deliver their spiel. Those were some of the longest minutes I’ve lost in quite some time! Bullet point after bullet point of all the expected phrases, yet not one thing that could help the audience understand why this company is unique! No real brand, no distinguishing message, just blah, blah, blah.
1. Have a clear, yet flexible vision. Know what it is you are pursuing, make sure that you can articulate it to others…but be aware that the market may, as you start to promote what you’re doing, point you in some different directions. These variations on your dream may, in fact, be the most lucrative course. My initial business model – providing high-level consultative sales expertise for my provider network, while also providing fee-based consulting service for my client base – is meeting clear market needs. But I’ve already seen a couple of new, complementary avenues open up that are variations on the theme. I like to plan and anticipate and map out EVERYthing – these months have convinced me that I am not, in fact, in charge of the universe, and sometimes a new direction comes from an unexpected direction! Be ready to evolve. And when you brand yourself or your business, build in some flexibility, so that if your business changes, you don’t have to completely re-brand.
Some years ago, I was listening to a taped presentation by an educator, who was advocating the rather unconventional notion that we should adapt our teaching style to the child’s learning style.
