Branding, it’s More Than Just a Logo–it’s a Story

Many people tend to think branding is developing a logo, and while this is one component of your brand, it is not the essence. Creating a memorable brand is similar to creating a memorable story. It’s not only the images associated with pictures but the story that goes with it. Every brand tells a story. It’s a story of who the company is, what they stand for, what their values are, what their mission is. It’s all of this and much more. Brand storytelling has the potential to enhance and add depth to your brand. A narrative about your brand draws in people with its persuasive power to captivate – that is if the story is told right. By using the proper visuals and relaying the core ideas and concepts of your business, you will be successful in branding. Just what is brand storytelling and how can your business tap into this marketing tool? By comparing the elements of a written story with a brand’s story, we get a glimpse of what it means. Here are three common elements of stories.

The Story

One of the first things a person does when writing a story is to develop the setting. The setting contains the characters, the location of the story, and the background. The setting helps set the stage for the mood of the story. Brand stories also have a setting. There are characters in the business, an office, which sets the stage for the location, and a background or history. How you deliver these story elements to consumers will make a difference in how well your brand story is told. For example, you can have a website with written information about each of those elements. Or people can be immersed in the setting through pictures or videos on your website. You want people to come away from the website with not just a mental image of who your business is but a feeling of who you are. That is the power of brand storytelling. Images may fade, but feelings last.

The Plot

You don’t have a story unless there is a plot. The plot advances a story along. It brings action to a story. It is really the reason you have a story at all. Without a plot, you have just a description of the characters. How does this apply to businesses telling their brand story? The plot of brand storytelling is the business’s journey. What are they doing? What activities are they involved with? What causes do they care about? Where are they headed? Answering any or all of these questions brings action – shows movement. A brand that is moving is not stagnant. Sharing the story across various platforms opens up dialogue, thereby continuing the momentum. By defining or revealing your mission, activities, and community service, you bring clarity to the brand’s story. Sharing videos, pictures, and updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and your website move the plot along.

The Resolution

Finally, all stories have a climax or resolution. This is when the problem or conflict is solved. Your business has a solution for the consumer. Your product or service solves some problem consumers have. You just have to relay that to the consumer. You can do this is any variety of ways. Photos showing the stages of a problem being resolved is captivating. Some videos may show in detail how your product works to solve the problem. Other videos could explain the problem and why it’s worse than consumers thought. The ideas are endless. As you provide the answer to consumer pain points, your brand story brings a resolution.

Is your company ready to take the business to the next level with brand storytelling? If so, contact us today.

Branding, it’s More Than Just a Logo–it’s a Story