Branding Secrets: The Magic of Storytelling
Why we love a good brand story
We live and work in Los Angeles, CA, a city famous for the stories that are created here. Hollywood is synonymous for storytelling that not only can bring magic to our lives, mesmerizes us, makes us laugh — it’s also big business.
But it’s not Hollywood alone that has discovered the magic of telling a good story. Let’s look at some of the greatest success stories of the past 20 years, not in film, but in our economy:
Starbucks, Apple, Zappos…
…the new billion-dollar brands. What do they all have in common? It’s not that they offer the world’s best coffee or the latest sneakers, yet many of us love buying from these companies, including myself. Often, we even pay a premium price. Hey, venti latte no foam anybody?
But if they’re not the best, why do we love associating ourselves with some brands? And ignore others that may be almost identical. Ask an Android phone owner about iPhones, or vice versa. You will get interesting feedback and very likely comments that defy logic. The reason for this is: it’s their brand story.
Storytelling is a powerful technique for building relationships. It is a concept as old as mankind that brings people together and keeps them engaged. Religions are built on stories, legendary brands like Harley Davidson or Levi’s wouldn’t exist without the myths they have created over time. (Harley Davidson is also a good example that brand stories don’t last forever and need to be re-examined and recalibrated from time to time). Even food brands often have a story “baked” into, like Pepsi’s “New Generation” spirit that makes Coca Cola look old school, or McDonald’s secret Big Mac sauce that gives an otherwise average food product an aura of mystery. Stories make brands interesting and relatable. Here a few more examples:
…the Google story where the company gives its employees paid time off to care for their children…
… or when Patagonia encourages customers to buy less and reuse, return or recycle worn garments, and on top of it donates all of their profits from Black Friday to environmental groups.
…or the latest I just read about: IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, has developed a shelter system for Syrian refugees, and delivers thousands of housing units to neighboring countries.
Those are the kind of stories that resonate with today’s consumers and make them affiliated, even attached to a brand.
“The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. This truth applies both to individuals and institutions.” — Michael Margolis
Good stories also give big voices to small ventures. And it’s even an advantage for start-ups to show their banner with their purpose front and center. That’s why it’s mission-critical that companies take the time in the early stages to develop their approaches to storytelling, to invest in building an authentic, a transparent brand. It’s a down payment into long term success.
Now storytelling is nothing you, in fact, it’s as old as mankind and the glue that often holds a tribe together. Stories are what provide meaning and context to our environment, to the things that matter to us. And it’s often a compelling story that inspires us, that pulls us into a relationship we would otherwise not experience.
Here’s my story. Enjoy.
INNOVATION IS IN MY DNA | Green tech, information technology, new gadgets, Big Data… name it, I like it. I grew up in Germany in a small town near Stuttgart. It’s a region that’s saturated with tech and manufacturing. With the Porsche Development Center in our backyard, and Mercedes and its partners pretty much everywhere, it was hard not to be influenced by tech.
Later when I worked in Munich, a city with BMW as the driving engine of its economy, you couldn’t find a design firm or advertising agency that didn’t subcontract for the automobile industry or its suppliers. This is where my roots are.
Now add a father, a planning engineer, and consultant for the World Bank, who would oversee the construction of huge power plants and desalination projects in developing countries, from the Middle East all the way to China, and the fascination for innovation was pretty much baked into my DNA.
And it is still something that gets me going every day: being at the forefront of innovation, engaging with people who can dream up tomorrow, who search for solutions to the problems our world is facing, people who don’t just ask “why”, but also “why not?” — Marc Posch
Marc Posch, Brand Consultant, Creative Director. Swiss-born, German-raised, LA-based.
Opus Creative Group — with partners in Munich and Paris — offers the combined expertise and firepower of a well-calibrated team of experts, and with it a broad spectrum of creative services, from Brand Consulting to Brand Development and Digital Branding. With 20+ years of experience in the tech and manufacturing sectors, we help our clients define their brand story, and we help them achieve success.
Feel free to contact me if you want to learn more about us or discuss a new project. A 30-minute consultation is always free, coffee included.
Contact +1.213.446.7986. Or visit OpusCreativeGroup.com Thank you.
Out in print now: “The Million Dollar Brand — Building A Million Dollar Brand For The Information Economy. A Step-by-Step Manual.” By Marc Posch, Creative Director, and Brand Consultant. To order click here
