Why your brand story is central to your business

There are many dimensions to building a brand. There are your values, your value proposition, your market positioning, your visual identity — a lot of different elements that come together to paint a complete picture. But, in the eyes of your consumers, what your brand actually boils down to is the feeling they are left with after each and every encounter with you.

The truth is, you don’t own your brand. Your customers do. They set their own expectations of your brand based on facts, interpretations and feelings. That’s why it’s so critical to set a foundation for creating an emotional connection with the people you want to reach — an emotional connection that you can deliver consistently, time and time again. By doing so, you have the opportunity to build something that people actually, truly care about.

But how? Stories.

Now there’s a lot of talk about storytelling in the business of branding today, especially when it comes to the marketing communication side of things. A true brand story, however, is not only about creating an attention-grabbing ad campaign or an engaging content marketing program. It’s about going beyond marketing your product or service and doing something more — something that enables you to create a meaningful connection with your customers.

To make this happen, your brand story needs to run deeper. It needs to be at the very heart of your business. Because if your story isn’t just what you tell people, but what they believe about you, it’s essential that that belief is delivered upon consistently no matter where or when. 

Everything you do, from choosing colours for your website to designing a new product range, is a building block in creating your brand experience. With your brand story at the core, you can ensure that every element of your business — whether it’s a small message on your packaging or a sustainability initiative you choose to support – is in line with the feeling you want your customers to be left with.

Brands are a sum of your customer’s entire experience with you as a company. So make sure your brand story goes beyond your marketing efforts, and that your brand goes beyond the basics. To build a brand that drives a successful, long-sighted business and that commands loyalty, start with your story – and make that story your strategy for future growth.