THE POWER OF STORYTELLING IN BRANDING

In school, I struggled with history; I could never remember all the dates, and it seemed boring to me. Now, when I think of it, this should be the most interesting subject, but in my experience, most often, it was based on a list of dry facts: no cause, no consequence, no background, no storytelling. So, ironically subject with the most potential has lost my interest forever.

Well, maybe not forever. Some aspects of history have stolen my heart. To be specific, art history. Finally, I was able to see how we can experience the story visually. The well-told story of the social, economic, geographic, and overall general background of art, architecture, and design made me understand what history should feel like and gave me an emotional connection and a plot I wanted to follow.

Humans are storytellers

For centuries, humans have been passing down stories from one generation to the next. We wanted to capture these stories from the beginning - you only need to look at cave paintings in Lascaux. We love a good story. We want to relate. We want to know what happened and why.

Dry facts haven't caught my interest in the history classroom, and they won't strike the interest of consumers. They won't be memorable. They won't create any connection between the recipient and the brand. In our subconscious, we need context and emotions to connect. Connection in branding is crucial because it's the connection that turns regular customers into loyal ones who will stay with the brand for years.

Understandment builds connection. Sharing more about your brand, some context and history, creates space for relatability, not only the facts but also the emotional layer. Don't get me wrong it’s not about you or your brand, it's about the customer. You're telling your story to find common points, to become real, and to build valuable connections.

Challenge, transformation, and empathy

Donald Miller, in his book "Building a Story Brand," emphasizes the impact of storytelling on branding. He focuses on the challenge, transformation, and empathy in brand messaging. We all have challenges in our lives. The key to effective marketing is defining the problem (the challenge), communicating how your offer can help them solve it (the transformation), and acknowledging the feelings and emotions in the process (the empathy).

Going back to the art history for a moment. I've learned that one painting can tell you more than a poorly written history book, and the same goes for the visual side of branding. Well-designed brand visuals will bring you more customers than a list of values written on your website. They are both valuable, but in the end, the customer will stand in the store looking at a wall packed with products, so your packaging needs to show the story. No matter if it's a label, a poster, or a social media post, visuals are key. And they need to tell the same story as any other part of your branding.

Storytelling everywhere

Choosing an adequate logo design, typography, and key visuals can define you as a small family business or a large tech company - the difference in aesthetics for those two categories will be massive, and it's crucial to do it right. The truth is that you can incorporate storytelling in every small part of design, not only these key components.

The right photo can reveal to your customers the context they need to connect with your brand on an emotional level. In the pet food packaging for the Pet Republic, the selected photo was key. We wanted to show the transformation. Not only can you see the dog waiting for his favorite food, but you can also see its emotions. Even though the food itself is out of the picture, you can tell by the excitement and happiness that in just a few seconds, the dog will eat it all. This case works particularly well because pet owners are more likely to choose better options for their pets than for themselves, so when they see this happy dog, they will subconsciously relate it to their own. One photo, but it gives the whole story and helps build a positive, strong connection with the brand.

Real stories sell

Visuals are important, but without authenticity, even the most emotional image won't sell. Your messaging should be genuine and concise. You can see it in the example of Patagonia. It's all about the outdoors, ecology, and nature. What's their slogan? "We are in business to save our planet". What can you see in their logo? Mountains. What do they sell? Outdoor gear and clothing. What motives can you see on their prints? Nature. These elements could seem simple and too straightforward, but it's the authentic storyline that you can see throughout the whole branding and in their actions. They have even created Patagonia Stories that use storytelling to showcase users in their products taking care of the planet and reconnecting with nature. Not to mention the Patagonia Foundation supporting ecological activism.

This aspect of authenticity reminds me that it's not only about the customers but also about the whole brand. As we have established, storytelling gives context and helps connect, and this is equally important when it comes to the people inside the company. You want to make them a part of something bigger so that they feel included in creating a working environment and show them that they matter to the brand itself. Making workers a part of company branding was one of our goals in designing the internal communication system for CPF. We have made the workers our main heroes. Not only was this system designed for them, but we have incorporated their photos into posters and gadgets. They have become a part of a bigger story in a playful way.

Storytelling is a vital aspect of branding. The effectiveness of this method lies in the way of communication and whether it resonates throughout all branding elements. A compelling brand story should foster empathy and emotional connections, ultimately forging a strong relationship with customers.

Every brand has a story to tell. Now the question is what's your story?