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February 28th 2012
“It all started with a redundancy… I had always harboured the ambition to run my own company, but like most business owners it took an event out of my control to push me into the decision.
So, I spoke to Pete, Chris, Jane, Marilyn and Russell and they all wrote to Bob. They told Bob that they would support me and would like to commission me to produce some designs for them.
Bob was the fixer, he was the man with the money, without him on board it was going to be difficult to get started. Thankfully the man from Lloyds TSB said yes! I was now able to put my plans into action…” This is just part of the story of how a brand consultancy called Green Square came to be.
We all love a story. A good story reassures us, challenges us, brings us out of ourselves and allows us to share our experiences with all kinds of people from all walks of life.
Story or narrative is the single most important element in branding. It is the story that will ultimately set you apart from your competition; this is your unique selling point. In successful branding the narrative really is the powerful difference.
So what is your brand story then? If your answer is “I don’t know” then you can be certain that it is being made up around you.
As soon as you open for business you are creating stories, therefore, it is much more advisable to take control of your brand rather than let it spiral out of your command.
If you are running your own business how did you get here? What are your brand values? Tell it as a story, keep it original and true and make it compelling enough for people to want to buy into your brand.
Make sure that your staff are on board. Your staff are integral to your relationships with your customers. The more they know and feel part of your story the more loyalty they can engender from your customers. We are all intrinsically linked to the perception of our brands.
Stories of customers experiences are hard to beat when it comes to conveying the positive image your brand. Word of mouth is without doubt the best kind of advertising. Get to know your customers, bring them in to talk about you. Who better than them?
When your customers see their own values mirrored through the dna of your organisation, they can relate to you and this creates a story that they will happily tell others.
Conversely a negative reputation can also be turned around by the power of the story. By creating brand experiences that directly contradict the old narrative, people will start to think of you in a new light and will start talking about you in a more positive manner.
So, make sure you spread the word to both your customers and your potential customers and bring your brand to life; and remember to keep doing this, for as long as you have a brand you have a story to tell.
