{"id":145,"date":"2014-11-03T16:15:48","date_gmt":"2014-11-03T16:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vcisf.com\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2015-01-19T14:18:00","modified_gmt":"2015-01-19T14:18:00","slug":"brandstory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/visualcreatives.com\/vcisf\/brandstory\/","title":{"rendered":"Brandstory"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Brandstory is a shift in thinking:<\/h1>\n
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Brandstory is not about getting customers to buy your product; it’s getting them to buy into your brand.<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to think stories exist merely to entertain. However, companies that have the greatest brand equity have the best brandstories. <\/p>\n

Today’s most valuable brands, like Apple,<\/span><\/a> Nike,<\/span><\/a> Starbucks,<\/span><\/a> Google,<\/span><\/a> Amazon,<\/span><\/a> and Coca-cola<\/span><\/a> are some of the best at brandstory marketing.<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Stories do more than entertain. They connect.<\/span><\/h1>\n
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<\/div>\nConnecting your business to your target customer is the goal of every brand.<\/p>\n

Marketing materials that tell the clearest story last longer, go further, and echo the in the hearts and heads of your audience.<\/p>\n

Story is no longer a tool just for writers and creatives. It is essential to design, marketing, business strategy, acquisitions, sales, social media, user experience, and so much more.
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Join the revolution that has transformed businesses like GE,<\/span><\/a> Samsung,<\/span><\/a> Volvo,<\/span><\/a> and Budweiser.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n
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What is Brandstory?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Brandstory is a shift in marketing communications, and brand experiences.<\/h3>\n

<\/i>Brand Identity<\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The key to brandstory is a focus on \u201cbrand personality\u201d, or, \u201cbrand identity\u201d. Instead of marketing\/advertising features and benefits of your products\/services, a brandstory focus creates \u201ctouchpoints\u201d using your brand\u2019s personality as a guide.<\/p>\n

People connect with personalities; not objects and things. That\u2019s why we feel \u201cconnected\u201d to characters in books and movies. Customers make similar connections with brands, or products, that focus on brand personality.<\/p>\n

It all centers around brand personality. Brand identity becomes the source of all creative for the brand. It also is the filter that all brand experiences must be tested by, in order to verify that the brand experience is in alignment with the brand\u2019s personality. If it is not aligned, there is a \u201csplit personality\u201d, and we all know that can\u2019t be good.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/i>Customer Identity<\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The next part of a brandstory-focus of branding is identifying the personality of a brand\u2019s target customer.<\/p>\n

All brand experiences must be created either by applying the brand personality, or by centering on the target customer\u2019s personality.<\/p>\n

This is more than just \u201cCustomer Personas\u201d. This is a deeper look into what transitions a prospect into a customer. Customer Identity looks at how the customer connects with your brand (and products\/services) on a practical, and emotional level.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/i>Marketplace Identity<\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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An old saying in the design world is, \u201cIf everything is bold, nothing is bold.\u201d <\/p>\n

That means \u201ccontrast\u201d is needed for a successful design. There needs to be something \u201cdifferent\u201d.<\/p>\n

The same is true for business success. We call it \u201cdifferentiation\u201d, but the rut most brands find themselves in is that overtime they become just like their competition. Think about the typical kind of advertising you see most local car dealerships create. They all advertise the same thing: \u201cCome here for the best price, service, and selection!\u201d And since car dealers often don\u2019t think of differentiating themselves they only thing they have left to do is shout. Yes, that\u2019s right; shout. Their ads feature explosion, rocking music beds, fake echoes (\u201cSunday, Sunday, Sunday!\u201d), and hurry-up tactics (\u201cThis Monday only!\u201d). <\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see this marketing rut that car dealers find themselves in, but the same trap lures other brands, too. When a company starts losing marketshare to a competitor they quickly want to advertise just like their competition.<\/p>\n

But the key to business success is standing out; being different. Instead of becoming like the competition brands need to invest in becoming more of \u201cwho they are\u201d. And that requires knowing what makes your brand personality different from the others.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/i>Marketing Goals<\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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They say, \u201cIf you aim at nothing you hit it every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

A brandstory focus is effective because in addition to focusing all brand experiences on extending the brand\u2019s identity, or appealing to the customer\u2019s personality, and clearly differentiating from the competition, but also because it is goal-oriented.<\/p>\n

Brandstory doesn\u2019t focus simply on immediate, isolated marketing experiences, but how the brand\u2019s personality is revealed over time, through all brand touchpoints, in a cohesive, aligned manner. This level of planning and execution creates synergy and is the key to achieving a brand\u2019s business goals.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Harness the power of brandstory.<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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