Branding Series - Storytelling with your Brand
When it comes to branding you want to remain memorable. In this blog, I will break down why something like a movie is so captivating and how you can use the same tactics and incorporate it into your brand or service.
One of the things that makes a movie so captivating is its ability to transform us from our current reality into the story. When it comes to fashion, it does not stop at the silver screen. You can create entire worlds with the ability to storytell. You have probably seen this from brands like Chanel, Gucci, Dior who have created long lasting stories and experiences for their customers.
Donald Miller’s “Building a Story Brand” takes a deep dive into how you create a dynamic story that not only relates to the customer, but helps you transport them into the main character in the story. Donald’s philosophy is to start with a Character, who is on a quest. They encounter a Problem even before they can get to the end of the quest. When their problem is at its worst, integrate a Guide or Guru, that gives them a Plan and Calls them to Action. By taking the action the character Avoids Failure and Embraces Success.
A great way to start getting into the mindset of storytelling for your brand, is to watch the advertisements from the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl attracts many of the best and worst attempts at storytelling. Some brands go for any story that will hit on emotion, and those are often forgettable by the next year. But others are actually very consistent in their customer, message, culture, etc. and have found a new angle to tell their story. This is what you want to achieve, a consistent but engaging message that lands true to your customer. By understanding Donald’s structure, you can begin to break down the Super Bowl advertisements and learn how to structure your own.
When it comes to Character, you want to be true to who your customer is. Going back to the previous blog, Key Elements of Developing a Fashion Brand, this is where the brand message and culture comes in. The Problem is the product or service that your brand solves or helps solve. For example, if you are a toothpaste company the problem might be that your customer struggles with keeping their teeth white. You can use many mediums such as videos, articles, posts, etc to deliver the Plan and Call to Action which is your whitening toothpaste. The final step to stay with the customer and help them Avoid Failure and Aid in success. This can be incorporated into an advertisement by the one-liner, “Use everyday for a visibly whiter, brighter, beautiful smile.”
The great thing about storytelling is that you can be creative and innovative to what will resonate well with your customer. I mentioned brands like Chanel and Dior earlier in the blog. They took a new angle on storytelling in the late 2000s and early 2010s with short films like: “Once upon a time…” by Karle Lagerfeld for Chanel and Dior’s Lady Grey London. Storytelling can be in different mediums, styles and tones. The storytelling can be vastly different for a toothpaste company or high fashion brand this will depend on brand position, price point, and demographic.
Why this Works:
Have you ever had to memorize a list of tasks, items, or even dates for a test? One tactic that was always taught to me for studying was to create some sort of story to help me retrieve the information. A story often evokes emotion, therefore, bringing in more dimensions to the information needed for memorization. We remember emotions, not necessarily facts, but emotions can help us remember facts or even the plan/solution that will help us fix the problem we have become emotionally invested in. So when you are inviting your customer into your story, your goal is to gain their emotional investment. This is what makes us cry in a movie or get giddy when the hero finally defeats the villain. They say, “Great power comes great responsibility.” And in regards to storytelling, this is true. By making sure you pair your brand’s story with the right character, problem, plan, call to action, while avoiding conflict and aiding success, you will gain and keep your customers' attention and emotional investment.
When it comes to stories, getting it right can be tough sometimes. V.Mora has worked with several brands to perfect their brand message and story through brand analysis and strategic marketing. Let’s build your story. For Branding and Marketing inquiries please contact: vmorainquiry@vmora.com
Or if you know your story but need help bringing it to life with Product Development our team at V.Mora not only has the expertise but the connections amongst industry vendors to pair you with low MOQ factories or specialized factories. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services:
Sourcing
Technical sketches
Pattern Making
Prototype making
Sample Making
Fittings
Digitizing and Grading
Marker Making
Manufacturing
Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com
