WHAT IS A BRAND STORY?

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Your brand story is the beating heart that gives life to your logo, website, and marketing campaigns. It transforms a product or service into something that resonates deeply with your target group on a functional, emotional, or social level.

Is crafting an authentic, compelling brand story always easy? NO.

It requires peeling back the layers to uncover your brand's core purpose, values, and personality.

You have to understand your target audience's psyche to understand their pain points, aspirations, and decision-making drivers. 

It also involves using the timeless principles of great storytelling to bring your brand to life in a way that leaves a lasting impression.

In the sections that follow, we'll guide you through the process of uncovering your brand's unique story—whether you're targeting consumers or other businesses. You'll learn how to infuse every aspect of your marketing with the power of storytelling, from your website copy to your social media presence to your sales pitches. 

Get ready to captivate your audience and take your brand to new heights.

Amrit Vatsa, the co-founder of Corevoice, heavily emphasises the concept of association in brand storytelling. He gives the example of Patanjali, stating, "The moment you think of Patanjali, you think of Baba Ramdev. Therefore, you think of yoga, then exercise, and then health." This chain of associations is what constitutes a powerful brand story.

Vatsa further explains that the effectiveness of a brand story comes from how many people are aware of these associations, not necessarily the quality of the story itself. As he succinctly puts it, "If there is no association, you don't have a great story. If there is some specific association, you have a story."

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DO YOU REALLY NEED A BRAND STORY?

If your company is in the early stages, with limited online presence and relying primarily on one-on-one pitches, your brand story can be more flexible and customised for each interaction. However, as your company grows and needs to reach a wider audience beyond individual sales pitches, you will need a more formal and consistent brand story.

This transition point, when your company needs to communicate its story more broadly, is when you should invest time and resources into developing a purposeful, compelling brand narrative.- Amrit Vatsa, Co-founder, CV

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LET’S BEGIN?

CHAPTER-1: Understand Your Brand's Core

The first critical step in crafting a brand story is to establish a clear understanding of the company's "inward clarity" - the founders' purpose, vision, mission, and core values. This forms the foundation of the brand's identity.

1.1 Define your Purpose- DNA Exercise 

"We do something called a DNA test, which gives us a broad sense of the brand's core identity," says Amrit Vatsa, the co-founder of Corevoice. This exercise helps brands identify their unique personality and values, which are essential for storytelling. 

The DNA Exercise is a branding framework based on Andy Cunningham's ‘Get to Aha!’ methodology. It categorizes companies into three types: Mothers (customer-oriented), Mechanics (product-oriented), and Missionaries (concept-oriented).

This classification system from Cunningham's work forms the foundation of the DNA Exercise, which helps brands identify their unique personality and values. By understanding which of the three identities best represents their brand's essence, companies can then effectively communicate their story and connect with their target audience.

1.2 Craft Your Vision and Mission

This is your opportunity to paint a vivid picture of the future you want to create. 

Ask yourself, 

• What change do I want to see in the world? 
• How do I want to positively impact my customers' lives? 
• Where do I see my brand in the long-term future?

Take a step back and let your imagination soar. Craft a vision statement that is ambitious, inspiring, and aligned with your brand's deepest purpose. This will be the guiding light that keeps you focused on the horizon, even as you navigate the day-to-day realities of running your business.

Vision vs Mission:

While your vision outlines the future you aspire to create, your mission defines the roadmap to get there. A mission statement should be clear, concise, and action-oriented, answering these key questions:

1. Why does my company exist?
2. What unique value do I offer my customers?
3. How will I accomplish my vision?

Your mission statement outlines the practical steps and purpose that will drive your organisation towards its visionary goals. Unlike a vision, which is long-term and aspirational, a mission focuses on the present and near future, providing a tangible direction for your daily operations and strategic decisions.

CHAPTER-2: Understand Your Audience and Market

To truly understand your customers, you need to go beyond superficial demographics and delve into their motivations, pain points, and desired outcomes.

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2.1 Conduct Customer Interviews 

Speak to at least 10-12 customers, users, or members of your target audience. Use the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework to uncover the functional and non-functional outcomes they are trying to achieve. Ask questions. 

What factors are important to you when choosing a product or service in this space?

What do you like or dislike about the current solutions available?

Document your findings carefully, looking for patterns and insights that can inform your branding and product decisions.

"Customer doesn't necessarily want something unique from brand X than brand Y. Customer wants something from the category. The JTBD framework helps articulate the functional, emotional, and social job that any customer wants to get done when they buy something from any brand in that category.”

Amrit Vatsa, Co-founder, CV

Customer Insights are truly the lifeblood of brand storytelling. By gathering insights directly from customers, brands can uncover the gaps in the market and position themselves accordingly.

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2.2 Observe Customer Behavior 

Attend industry events, visit your competitors' stores or websites, and observe how your target audience interacts with similar products or services. Pay attention to their body language, the language they use, and the emotional cues they display. This can provide valuable information about their pain points, preferences, and decision-making processes.

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2.3 Create Customer Personas 

Synthesise the data from your customer interviews and observations to develop detailed customer personas. These archetypal representations of your ideal customers should include demographic information, as well as their goals, pain points, buying habits, and decision-making criteria. Use these personas to guide your branding, marketing, and product development efforts.

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CHAPTER-3: Map your Competitive Landscape

Analyse how others in your industry are portraying their personality, aesthetics, and language to identify opportunities for differentiation. This would help you to position your brand effectively. 

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3.1: Conduct a Competitive Analysis 

Research your direct and indirect competitors, including both established players and emerging startups. Examine their:

• Branding and visual identity (logos, colour palettes, typography, imagery)
• Tone-of-voice and language used in their messaging
• Product or service offerings and unique value propositions
• Marketing strategies and customer touchpoints
• Customer reviews and feedback

Identify the strengths, weaknesses, and positioning of your competitors, as well as any gaps in the market that your brand can fill.

"You have to make sure your story is not very similar to something that already exists, especially if a bigger brand has already taken those associations." -Amrit Vatsa

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3.2: Analyze Industry Trends 

Look beyond your immediate competitors and consider broader industry trends, shifts in consumer preferences, and emerging technologies that could impact your market. This can help you anticipate future changes and position your brand to capitalise on new opportunities.

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3.3: Identify Your Unique Positioning 

Use the insights gathered from your competitive analysis and industry trend research to determine how your brand can stand out. Identify your unique value proposition, core differentiators, and the specific customer needs you are best equipped to address.

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CHAPTER-4: Craft Your Brand Personality

Your brand's personality is the unique set of human characteristics and traits that you want your brand to embody. This personality will inform how your brand speaks, behaves, and interacts with your audience. By defining a clear and distinct brand personality, you'll create a more engaging and memorable brand experience.

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4.1 Define the Tone of Voice

The tone of voice is a crucial aspect of your brand personality, as it reflects the emotional undertone and attitude of your brand's communication. Consider the following tone options and how they may resonate with your target audience:

1. Conversational: A friendly and approachable tone, suitable for B2C brands targeting a broad consumer audience.
2. Professional: A formal and authoritative tone, ideal for B2B brands or industries requiring technical expertise.
3. Playful: A fun and light-hearted tone, effective for brands in creative or entertainment sectors.

Experiment with different tone variations and choose the one that best aligns with your brand's values, positioning, and the needs of your target customers.

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4.2 Create Messaging Pillars

Messaging pillars are the key themes or topics that reflect your brand's identity and guide your content creation. These pillars ensure consistency across all your brand communications, from your website and social media to your marketing materials and customer interactions.

When defining your messaging pillars, consider the following questions:

• What are the core values and beliefs that drive your brand?
• What are the key benefits or solutions you provide to your customers?
• What unique aspects of your brand do you want to highlight?

Aim to establish 3-5 clear and concise messaging pillars that encapsulate the essence of your brand personality.

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4.3 Develop Language Guidelines

To further reinforce your brand personality, establish guidelines for the language you use across all touchpoints. This includes preferred vocabulary, phrases, sentence structure, and even the voice and tone conventions you want to adopt.

For example, if your brand personality is friendly and approachable, your language guidelines might include the use of contractions, casual expressions, and a more conversational tone. Conversely, if your brand is positioned as an industry leader, your language guidelines might emphasise the use of precise, technical terminology and a more formal, authoritative tone.

By defining your tone of voice, messaging pillars, and language guidelines, you'll create a cohesive and distinctive brand personality that resonates with your target audience. This consistent brand voice will help you build stronger emotional connections, enhance brand recognition, and effectively communicate your brand's unique value proposition.

And your brand personality is not a static construct – it should and must evolve and adapt as your business grows and your target market changes. You must regularly refine your brand personality to ensure it remains relevant and impactful.

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Chapter 5: Articulating Your Brand Promise

The brand promise is the core of your brand's identity. It encompasses the tangible benefits and emotional connections you aim to deliver to your target audience. To effectively articulate your brand promise, consider the following steps:

1. Functional Promise: Identify the practical, functional benefits that your products or services provide to customers. These should address specific pain points or needs of your target market.
2. Emotional Promise: Determine how your brand makes customers feel. This emotional connection is often the driving force behind customer loyalty and brand advocacy.
3. Brand Positioning Statement: Distill your functional and emotional promises into a concise statement that defines your brand's unique value proposition. This statement should answer key questions about your target audience, your competitive category, your point of difference, and the ultimate benefit you deliver.

Discover how CoreVoice told BharatAgri's brand story

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Chapter 6: Bringing It All Together - Crafting Your Brand Narrative

Weave your functional and emotional promises into a narrative that resonates with your target audience. This narrative should highlight the unique challenges your brand solves and the transformative impact it can have on your customers' lives.

Here is the Corevoice approach to brand development, which has been developed through extensive work with brands across various domains. 

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Implementing Your Brand Story

With your brand story crafted, the next step is to implement it across all communication channels. Work closely to ensure your brand narrative is consistently and compellingly presented across various touchpoints:

• Website Content: Rewrite your web copy to reflect the brand story, using language that embodies your unique personality and values. The homepage should immediately engage visitors with your vision and mission.
• Marketing Materials: Infuse the brand story into all marketing collateral, from brochures to presentation decks. Technical details should be presented alongside narratives that showcase the broader impact of your offerings.
• Social Media Posts: Develop a content strategy that shares snippets of the brand story regularly. Posts should alternate between showcasing your capabilities and highlighting the positive change you're driving.
• Customer Interactions: Create guidelines for your sales and customer service teams, providing them with key storytelling points to use in their interactions. Every touchpoint should reinforce your brand narrative.
• Internal Communications: Recognize that your employees are your best brand ambassadors. Immerse the team in the brand story through internal newsletters and training materials, empowering them to represent your mission and values authentically.

By implementing the brand story consistently across all these touchpoints, you can create a cohesive and powerful brand presence. Every interaction with your company, whether through your website, marketing materials, or a conversation with an employee, should reinforce your identity and values.

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Conclusion: The Ever-Evolving Brand Story

Building a brand story is not a one-time event but a continuous journey of discovery and refinement. As you progress through each step, your understanding of your brand, audience, and market will deepen, allowing for more nuanced and effective storytelling.

Remember, the most powerful brand stories are those that evolve with the brand itself, staying true to core values while adapting to the changing needs and expectations of your audience. Embrace this journey, and let your brand story grow and flourish alongside your business.

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