February 6, 2024 • 22 mins
Get ready for a deep dive into the world of brand storytelling! We're uncovering the secrets, debunking misconceptions, and sharing some real-world examples of effective storytelling. Whether you're a startup or an established brand, we provide actionable advice on shaping your brand's unique and impactful story. Join us and discover the power of crafting a story that captivates your audience.
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Episode Transcript
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Rick Callahan (00:04):
Hello and welcome to Branding for Success, where
we discuss all things brand strategy, marketing and design.
I'm Rick Callahan, the founder and CEO of Krative.
Julia Licursi (00:11):
And I'm Julia Licursi, the brand strategist at
Krative. Whether you're well versed in branding or just
getting started, we've got the roadmap for your brand success.
Rick Callahan (00:21):
Welcome back to the show. Today we are talking
about...
Julia Licursi (00:24):
Brand storytelling.
Rick Callahan (00:25):
Brand storytelling.
Julia Licursi (00:27):
All right.
Rick Callahan (00:29):
I'll bite.
Julia Licursi (00:29):
What does that mean?
Rick Callahan (00:30):
What is it?
Julia Licursi (00:31):
Brand storytelling is definitely a
very, I would say, underrated and also misinterpreted element
of branding. We definitely find our clients are very unsure what
brand storytelling actually means. So, to give a very simple
definition, it's essentially about creating a narrative based
(00:52):
on your brand's core values, your brand's purpose, that can
really bring your brand to life, and so the whole goal in the
end is to resonate with your target audience.
Rick Callahan (01:04):
So I'm a potential client or I'm a client
theoretically, hypothetically. Is that like the story of how I
got started in business?
Julia Licursi (01:12):
No. So I would say that is probably the biggest
misconception. A lot of the times people think brand
storytelling is your brand's story. So maybe your origin
story, how your brand came to be what your founding story is.
But really it's about your audience's story and bringing
your brand, integrating your brand, into their journey. What
(01:34):
are their behaviors, what are their interests, and how does
your brand then come into the mix with that?
Rick Callahan (01:40):
So why is it important to talk about their
story instead of my story as the theoretical owner?
Julia Licursi (01:46):
Because your brand is for your audience, not
for you, but I want it to be for me.
Rick Callahan (01:51):
But that is what we run into is that a lot of
times people will think their origin story is their brand
story. But they think people care that you know they got a
degree in whatever and started a business and at the end right,
it's not very motivating or inspiring outside of that person
achieving something right. So it's more about what value does
(02:12):
it bring to someone and the way you articulate that value is
going to be through that narrative that Julie is talking
about.
Julia Licursi (02:17):
Absolutely so. You know obviously one
misconception that we just noted the origin story being confused
, storytelling. What are some other common mistakes we've
typically run into with clients? I know I can think of a few,
but what do you think are some of the common misperceptions,
common mistakes?
Rick Callahan (02:34):
I think a mistake . That is pretty consistent. You
know, something we'll advise clients to work around or not do
is to not really avoid their clientele and customers and to
actually get the testimonials, get the feedback, turn that into
your narrative for the brand. It's not about really how upper
management feels about anything. Top down isn't really going to
(02:58):
inspire anyone all the way through unless it's
authentically connected to those that you serve, right, so it
has to be from the bottom up and then top down. So really you
know who are you engaging and what value you're providing from
the eyes of those you're serving, not yourself.
Julia Licursi (03:14):
Absolutely so, would you say. It's enough to
just have you know a page on your website.
Rick Callahan (03:18):
No, it's titled testimonials. Already know just
the testimonial page that says testimonials. I feel like we see
that a lot. Yeah, we do have a lot of folks that we've worked
on on websites, in particular for content strategy. We're
trying to figure out, okay, where we put these testimonials
just to kind of really engage people throughout your site.
Don't put on one page that says testimonials or whatever or what
(03:39):
our clients are saying, like that's okay, but you need those
narratives throughout everything. So, from the videos that are
on your homepage if they're there to the call out actions to
the are you ready to sign up now? All of it should resonate
with the storytelling, the narrative of what the end user
should expect from your brand.
Julia Licursi (03:59):
Some common examples, just that you know
everybody typically knows of, just you know, popular brands,
one I always think of as Patagonia. So Patagonia, you
know if you're familiar, they are a clothing brand, but
they're a lot more than that and they stand to be a lot more
than that. So you know, if you know anything about Patagonia,
immediately what you think of is sustainability, high quality
(04:23):
products that last the test of time. That's exactly you know,
the founding beliefs. They were, you know, built on and has
stayed true today.
Rick Callahan (04:33):
The way they articulate that through their
marketing and their brand positioning is by putting up
signs. I don't remember the verbatim wording, but it was
something along the lines of we don't want you to buy more.
Julia Licursi (04:41):
Yeah, don't buy this jacket. I think that was
like a big Black Friday campaign back, you know, a few years ago
.
Rick Callahan (04:47):
Buy one, keep it forever, you know, show us your
you know thing that's 30 years old and put on social Like. It's
engaging that narrative that their stuff is quality at last
forever, and they're letting their customers show that. But
they're also encouraging people to show it Right. So they know
their brand story and they're putting it out there in a way
that is not about themselves but rather the value as perceived
(05:08):
by those they're selling to.
Julia Licursi (05:10):
Yeah, absolutely. I think you know I forget when
the campaign actually was, but and I think it's still ongoing
they continue to do this. But one thing that they do very
effectively is just get their customer stories. So, exactly
going back to your point about you know getting that feedback,
hearing, you know those those reviews and you know what the
customers are actually saying and building your brand from
(05:32):
that, because that's really what holds meaning. And so Patagonia
is a great example of that, because they actually get those
customer stories and of you know a guy who bought this jacket 20
years ago and is worn it on this hiking trip and this trip
and you know they really you know get those those real,
actual living stories and, you know, have that all throughout
(05:52):
their content marketing to really reinforce this idea. So
it's a lot more than just saying you know quality product. Yeah,
exactly, Our jackets are really high quality. You're literally
proving it through an actual human connection.
Rick Callahan (06:05):
I think that's really so the storytelling when
it comes to branding is more about the human connection.
Absolutely and it is features.
Julia Licursi (06:13):
Yeah, and then. So, going back to you know, some
of those common mistakes we often see, a really, really
simple one is photos and videos, you know, of the work that you
do or of the people that you serve not showing the real Story
, not showing anything actually, maybe using stock imagery. that
(06:33):
means not exactly, yeah, I think. Photos and videos. It
sounds so simple and I think even in today's world it
probably seems just so intuitive, but it really is a very Common
mistake that people overlook is not integrating those photos,
not placing enough value on that. We have so many clients that
just don't take the time to take a photo at an event or you know
(06:56):
, take a photo of you know, whatever it is, or a video, and
using that throughout their content, marketing across all
brand touchpoints to really be reinforcing that story and
making that connection Consistently. It was really
important.
Rick Callahan (07:10):
Yeah, quick anecdote one of the clients we
went to a year or two ago at this point I'm not gonna say any
names, but they were a they were in the manufacturing space
and when we walked through their offices they had a lot of
trophies like local town, like sports trophies for local teams
that they sponsored, and they've been doing this for like
decades or whatever, and None of this is a part of their
(07:32):
Identity of who they are. Outside of that office space I.
Everything about who they are in the real world is not being
reflected, or was not being reflected, I should say, in the
digital world and the advertising, in the marketing.
They weren't telling their brand story. They were just saying we
provide X service, and when you do that, you're basically
becoming a commodity. You're commoditizing who you are, what
(07:54):
you offer, and you're saying we're the same as everyone else.
Do you mind to pick the cheapest one? But if your brand
story is conveying a value at such an intrinsic human,
emotional level and it's one that other people can resonate
with, then you put that story out. You're gonna get the right
type of target clients coming after you. They're coming in as
opposed to you reaching out. So, knowing what those things are.
(08:14):
That is your real world reputation how people see you,
how they perceive the value of what you offer. Take their
narrative, make that your brand story and put that out there and
you'll do quite well.
Julia Licursi (08:26):
Absolutely. I'm just going off that example
because I remember exactly what you're talking about and it's
important to note that you know sponsoring those teams. It had
nothing, like you said, nothing to do with that I just like it
work yeah but it was a very strong reflection of who they
were as an internal team, as people, and that Was also I
don't know if you remember when we were developing their values.
Relationships being very community oriented, being very
(08:50):
authentic. That was very much a part of their core internal
values that we use to kind of guide their brand strategy. Yeah
, and then so, speaking of that authenticity that's, you know,
very much imbued in those kinds of, you know, personal stories
and connections like that example we just gave. I think
another thing to note is that authenticity is, you know, at
(09:13):
the center of Everything when it comes to marketing these days.
Rick Callahan (09:17):
So do you want to talk a little bit about why
brand storytelling is really important, especially today and,
yeah, you know, today's so we are more connected than we've
ever been, than ever, as a species, the human population
and you know we used to delineate generations. The
target audience is like we would just say, oh, we're looking at
(09:38):
the baby boomer generation from this age, this age, this income
level in this area. That was all you needed to know to advertise
to the right people and say we provide services, but we are so
interconnected with the internet and all this stuff now that
people's bullshit meters are so, so finely tuned, they're so
used to being barrage with so much stuff that they're just
don't not deal with any of it. So the second it feels like
(10:00):
sales. A second it feels like manipulation. Then the second it
feels like I'm just trying to emote something onto you, so you
feel a certain way. Most generations, especially, like I
would say, millennial and younger, are gonna go f that I'm
out of here, I'm done. So the best way to appeal to your
target audiences really is to know what is the story that they
have of your brand, those you've already served well, and
(10:22):
put that out there. It's just like referring yourself to other
people through the words of those you've already worked with
so a lot of times. What we'll do is we'll engage our clientele
and say why do people refer you? Word of mouth, the biggest
factor of what brings in new clients and customers to you
there's your brand story. Talk about that, why. Why are they
referred?
Julia Licursi (10:43):
What are they saying?
Rick Callahan (10:44):
What do they care about? It's probably not going
to be them saying quality products and services, but
something very specific to how their life is changed, different
, has an added value or just more enjoyable.
Julia Licursi (10:55):
And that becomes your brand messaging, your value
proposition. It's right there. You don't need to make it up
from scratch, so not making it up.
Rick Callahan (11:04):
Authentic, Listening to your customers that
already work with you. Authentic, Putting out the real
messaging of what you provide. Authenticity. If you do that,
you should be in a good spot to position your brand with that
narrative, that story. Otherwise, if you lack on any of that
authenticity or you're inconsistent with it, you change
your messaging all the time. People are going to think I
can't trust this, so they're not even going to think it. They're
(11:25):
going to feel it, they're going to know I can't trust this
person, this brand, this entity, whatever it is. So authenticity
all the way.
Julia Licursi (11:32):
Absolutely. I think also, another common issue
that people face when trying to figure out what their brand
storytelling should be is balancing that authenticity with
actual marketing strategy, because in the end, you do want
your brand to increase its awareness and hopefully drive
(11:54):
sales or whatever it is, and that really is it right there.
That's kind of what I always tell our clients. You don't need
to worry about putting your brand out there and selling your
product or your service, whatever it is, and also
maintaining authenticity, because by just being authentic
you're doing just that, so you don't need to worry about that
(12:14):
it's much easier to do that than you think.
Rick Callahan (12:16):
So walk around your workspace, whatever that is
, if you're in person and just do the experience that your
customer or client would have Like. Go pretend you don't know
anything and look around and ask people about what they do or
what are they working on, and those little nuances and
intricacies of the culture, of the vibe, of why people are
passionate about what they do in that organization those little
things are going to be the authentic moments that you can
(12:38):
capture and you can put out there. So, really, just, it's
literally what we're doing here. We're just talking about what
we knew, know and we're being ourselves and this is what gets
us seen for the integrity that we have, the knowledge that we
know and the services that we can do. We're not just saying
but our branding right, but we're talking about our subject
(12:58):
matter here. We're being authentic about it. So you guys
can do the same thing as far as social media content or email
newsletters or advertising on a billboard or whatever. Just
capture those authentic moments of passion, of enthusiasm, of
really caring about what you do or those who receive your
services or products or whatever they're passionate about it, or
(13:19):
how their life is enhanced or what value they receive. Just
showing those moments of joy and value is really what it's about
. To be able to show that authenticity.
Julia Licursi (13:29):
Yeah, absolutely. And you bring up a good point,
too, of maintaining that narrative across different
touchpoints through email, through social, through your
website. That's really what's going to build your brand
perception over time. So, by having that narrative come
across and intertwine through all of your brand touchpoints,
that'll be really important in the long term as well. Alrighty,
(13:51):
so do we have another real world example that we can give
any listeners?
Rick Callahan (13:54):
Yeah, let's talk about a narrative, a brand story
. That is less about a complete story and it's more about
putting you in the story. So there's some companies that do
this as well, so Red Bull is one of them. So if you think about
Red Bull and the advertising they do, they never really just
sell the benefits of the product itself or the features. I
should say. What they do is they have that obscure cartoon
(14:17):
commercial just to get the bread in your head. Red Bull gives
you wings, got it? But then, outside of that, where they
spend most of their advertising dollars and marketing dollars is
in these engagements in the real world that are extremely
active and action-oriented and stunt double-type stuff. Right?
So you might remember, some years back they had someone
(14:38):
jumping from the outer stratosphere, whatever way, way,
way high up and they were just gliding all the way down to the
ground. It was all sponsored Red Bull and stuff like that. No
reason other than this is an amazing feat and it's branded by
Red Bull and look, it gives you wings. You're flying through
the sky, isn't that amazing? This guy was safe, landed, good,
everything was great. And they do that stuff all the time.
(15:01):
They're constantly sponsoring these action sports things and
making sure that people know that when you think sports, when
you think action, you think adventure. When you think these
sort of things, you're thinking something like Red Bull.
Julia Licursi (15:12):
Yeah, yeah, they're really communicating
that energy that you know, the feeling that you get when
drinking Red Bull, rather than you know I couldn't tell you how
much caffeine is in a Red Bull Like. They're not just like kind
of listing out those different pictures.
Rick Callahan (15:26):
Well, that's coffee, right? Do you ever see
coffee sell itself that way? Coffee's not exciting, it's,
like you know, totally different vibe.
Julia Licursi (15:33):
It's more about the experience you know.
Rick Callahan (15:36):
So that's the story that Red Bull goes with
and it works is they're putting you as the potential customer in
the story, like it's possible for you to feel this way. Even
if you're just drinking in the middle of the work day, you
could feel like you're flying through the sky, you know.
Another one would be Coca-Cola. Yeah, they had their campaign in
the early 90s, whatever. It was late 80s something could be
even earlier but the experience, happiness, right, they're
(15:59):
selling happiness, joy, the coming together. They had the
campaign with them. They had the names on the campaign.
Julia Licursi (16:04):
Yeah, so it was the. I know that's the one I was
thinking of. I think it was like Cherico campaign or
something like that, where, yeah, they put you know different
names on the cans to really reinforce that idea of yeah, I
know right, I've watched some of them and gave some yeah, but
yeah to reinforce that idea of togetherness.
Rick Callahan (16:22):
Of sharing happiness, joy, those little
moments of life, and Coca-Cola has really stepped into that for
the last couple of decades and they're not stopping right.
Julia Licursi (16:30):
I think that's also you know that ties to the
point of knowing what your messaging is and what you want.
You know people to think about when they think of your brand
and translating that messaging into a narrative. So Coke, since
its beginning, had that, had those values, had that you know
purpose, had that messaging. You know from the start about joy,
(16:52):
happiness. You know sharing things together and they just
imbued that in different ways into you know their different
narratives to communicate that idea and that's what makes you
think, oh, coke, happiness, joy, rather than you know them
saying that it's more so about. You know showing that and kind
(17:13):
of resonating with their audience in that way connecting
those feelings to their brand, rather than you know simply
telling you that this is what their brand is all about.
Rick Callahan (17:23):
Right, so what tips can we recap for the
listeners and watchers out there?
Julia Licursi (17:29):
Absolutely so. I think you know, first and
foremost and we probably have said this in our past couple of
episodes and we'll say it in probably every other one from
here on out but knowing your target markets. It's always
going to come back to that. You know, clearly we talked a lot
about getting feedback from your consumers, your customers,
whoever they are. But you know from the start, actually knowing
(17:50):
who they are, so you know how to find them, how to reach them,
how to resonate with them. If you understand, you know their
interests, their behaviors, their challenges, you know, then
you can actually begin to shape a narrative that connects with
them.
Rick Callahan (18:06):
And you know yeah , if you look, a lot of the most
popular businesses that have come out of nowhere in the last
like 15, 20 years. These are the companies that knew, going into
creating the business, exactly what target audience they wanted
and what brand story they're putting in front of them, and
they needed to make sure that brand story was authentic. So
you know, it's something you can do too with any decisions about
(18:28):
your organization, your brand, your business, whatever it is.
For all the future strategy stuff, this brand story should
work quite a ways out. So base your decisions on that value,
that perceived value of what you're putting out there. You
know, should we expand to three more states? I don't know. Does
your brand story make sense if you do?
Julia Licursi (18:47):
So I think another big tip also is and I
talked about brand messaging before but also not letting your
brand messaging get clouded by you know. Oh, I need, like this,
really creative narrative. I think that's another issue, and
we talked a lot about authenticity, clearly, and
letting authenticity just kind of guide you. So, going back to
that, you know, having a clear and concise message, forming
(19:10):
that brand perception from the start, and not letting you know
this elusive idea of brand storytelling get in the way of
getting that message through to your target audience.
Rick Callahan (19:22):
The point of the story is to convey a particular
idea, not to mention every feature, every benefit, every
service, every, any of that. It's not about that necessarily.
It's about that end result and the impact that it would have on
those you serve. And so another tip, just to recap, is
capturing those moments of authenticity throughout your
(19:44):
organization, your brand, your product experience, whatever it
is. So this could be the customers, consumers, whoever
utilizing your product or service, and literally just
showing that, the process involved in that experience. It
could be them giving feedback and telling their story, or it
could be just pulling pieces from each of those and then
creating a narrative out of that, which is what we recommend. So
(20:06):
get that feedback, capture those videos, take those
pictures, accept testimonials from people and look at the
common denominator of all of these and generate that story
out of that, not so much what your business plan is, but
rather what's already working for you.
Julia Licursi (20:23):
And put it at the forefront of your brand, of
your messaging. Don't hide it on a website page. Just make it
consistent, all platforms, all touch points to really reiterate
that point. And eventually, that's what when people think of
your brand, that's what they think of those stories, those
feelings that are evoked, and that's really the goal of brand
(20:45):
storytelling. You want your brand people see your logo, they
hear your name. What do you want them to immediately think?
Those stories?
Rick Callahan (20:54):
So good recap. Before we wrap up, there is one
more thing. So we have a lot of great resources on our website.
Outside of this podcast, of course, julia, there's some
articles that you put up there. Anything that they should be
aware of related to this.
Julia Licursi (21:07):
Yeah, so I actually do have an article up
on the site about brand storytelling, so we'll include a
link in the show notes. So, yeah, definitely check that out,
check out the other resources on our site and, yeah, hopefully
you know you gain the insights you need to help kind of better
your brand. And if you have any questions, you could also, you
know, reach out to us on our website, reach out to us on
(21:27):
social media.
Rick Callahan (21:28):
Sounds good. Yeah , thank you. Until next time.
Until next time. See ya Bye. If you enjoyed this episode, don't
forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Also,
make sure to share this with any friends and colleagues that
you think might be helpful as well.
Julia Licursi (21:41):
And if there are any other topics you want us to
talk about or questions you have, definitely let us know by
sending us a message on social media and follow us too.
Rick Callahan (21:49):
And definitely make sure you hit the website
creativecom. Tons of resources out there. Until next time, have
a good one.
Hello and welcome to Branding for Success, where
we discuss all things brand strategy, marketing and design.
I'm Rick Callahan, the founder and CEO of Krative.
Julia Licursi (00:11):
And I'm Julia Licursi, the brand strategist at
Krative. Whether you're well versed in branding or just
getting started, we've got the roadmap for your brand success.
Rick Callahan (00:21):
Welcome back to the show. Today we are talking
about...
Julia Licursi (00:24):
Brand storytelling.
Rick Callahan (00:25):
Brand storytelling.
Julia Licursi (00:27):
All right.
Rick Callahan (00:29):
I'll bite.
Julia Licursi (00:29):
What does that mean?
Rick Callahan (00:30):
What is it?
Julia Licursi (00:31):
Brand storytelling is definitely a
very, I would say, underrated and also misinterpreted element
of branding. We definitely find our clients are very unsure what
brand storytelling actually means. So, to give a very simple
definition, it's essentially about creating a narrative based
(00:52):
on your brand's core values, your brand's purpose, that can
really bring your brand to life, and so the whole goal in the
end is to resonate with your target audience.
Rick Callahan (01:04):
So I'm a potential client or I'm a client
theoretically, hypothetically. Is that like the story of how I
got started in business?
Julia Licursi (01:12):
No. So I would say that is probably the biggest
misconception. A lot of the times people think brand
storytelling is your brand's story. So maybe your origin
story, how your brand came to be what your founding story is.
But really it's about your audience's story and bringing
your brand, integrating your brand, into their journey. What
(01:34):
are their behaviors, what are their interests, and how does
your brand then come into the mix with that?
Rick Callahan (01:40):
So why is it important to talk about their
story instead of my story as the theoretical owner?
Julia Licursi (01:46):
Because your brand is for your audience, not
for you, but I want it to be for me.
Rick Callahan (01:51):
But that is what we run into is that a lot of
times people will think their origin story is their brand
story. But they think people care that you know they got a
degree in whatever and started a business and at the end right,
it's not very motivating or inspiring outside of that person
achieving something right. So it's more about what value does
(02:12):
it bring to someone and the way you articulate that value is
going to be through that narrative that Julie is talking
about.
Julia Licursi (02:17):
Absolutely so. You know obviously one
misconception that we just noted the origin story being confused
, storytelling. What are some other common mistakes we've
typically run into with clients? I know I can think of a few,
but what do you think are some of the common misperceptions,
common mistakes?
Rick Callahan (02:34):
I think a mistake . That is pretty consistent. You
know, something we'll advise clients to work around or not do
is to not really avoid their clientele and customers and to
actually get the testimonials, get the feedback, turn that into
your narrative for the brand. It's not about really how upper
management feels about anything. Top down isn't really going to
(02:58):
inspire anyone all the way through unless it's
authentically connected to those that you serve, right, so it
has to be from the bottom up and then top down. So really you
know who are you engaging and what value you're providing from
the eyes of those you're serving, not yourself.
Julia Licursi (03:14):
Absolutely so, would you say. It's enough to
just have you know a page on your website.
Rick Callahan (03:18):
No, it's titled testimonials. Already know just
the testimonial page that says testimonials. I feel like we see
that a lot. Yeah, we do have a lot of folks that we've worked
on on websites, in particular for content strategy. We're
trying to figure out, okay, where we put these testimonials
just to kind of really engage people throughout your site.
Don't put on one page that says testimonials or whatever or what
(03:39):
our clients are saying, like that's okay, but you need those
narratives throughout everything. So, from the videos that are
on your homepage if they're there to the call out actions to
the are you ready to sign up now? All of it should resonate
with the storytelling, the narrative of what the end user
should expect from your brand.
Julia Licursi (03:59):
Some common examples, just that you know
everybody typically knows of, just you know, popular brands,
one I always think of as Patagonia. So Patagonia, you
know if you're familiar, they are a clothing brand, but
they're a lot more than that and they stand to be a lot more
than that. So you know, if you know anything about Patagonia,
immediately what you think of is sustainability, high quality
(04:23):
products that last the test of time. That's exactly you know,
the founding beliefs. They were, you know, built on and has
stayed true today.
Rick Callahan (04:33):
The way they articulate that through their
marketing and their brand positioning is by putting up
signs. I don't remember the verbatim wording, but it was
something along the lines of we don't want you to buy more.
Julia Licursi (04:41):
Yeah, don't buy this jacket. I think that was
like a big Black Friday campaign back, you know, a few years ago
.
Rick Callahan (04:47):
Buy one, keep it forever, you know, show us your
you know thing that's 30 years old and put on social Like. It's
engaging that narrative that their stuff is quality at last
forever, and they're letting their customers show that. But
they're also encouraging people to show it Right. So they know
their brand story and they're putting it out there in a way
that is not about themselves but rather the value as perceived
(05:08):
by those they're selling to.
Julia Licursi (05:10):
Yeah, absolutely. I think you know I forget when
the campaign actually was, but and I think it's still ongoing
they continue to do this. But one thing that they do very
effectively is just get their customer stories. So, exactly
going back to your point about you know getting that feedback,
hearing, you know those those reviews and you know what the
customers are actually saying and building your brand from
(05:32):
that, because that's really what holds meaning. And so Patagonia
is a great example of that, because they actually get those
customer stories and of you know a guy who bought this jacket 20
years ago and is worn it on this hiking trip and this trip
and you know they really you know get those those real,
actual living stories and, you know, have that all throughout
(05:52):
their content marketing to really reinforce this idea. So
it's a lot more than just saying you know quality product. Yeah,
exactly, Our jackets are really high quality. You're literally
proving it through an actual human connection.
Rick Callahan (06:05):
I think that's really so the storytelling when
it comes to branding is more about the human connection.
Absolutely and it is features.
Julia Licursi (06:13):
Yeah, and then. So, going back to you know, some
of those common mistakes we often see, a really, really
simple one is photos and videos, you know, of the work that you
do or of the people that you serve not showing the real Story
, not showing anything actually, maybe using stock imagery. that
(06:33):
means not exactly, yeah, I think. Photos and videos. It
sounds so simple and I think even in today's world it
probably seems just so intuitive, but it really is a very Common
mistake that people overlook is not integrating those photos,
not placing enough value on that. We have so many clients that
just don't take the time to take a photo at an event or you know
(06:56):
, take a photo of you know, whatever it is, or a video, and
using that throughout their content, marketing across all
brand touchpoints to really be reinforcing that story and
making that connection Consistently. It was really
important.
Rick Callahan (07:10):
Yeah, quick anecdote one of the clients we
went to a year or two ago at this point I'm not gonna say any
names, but they were a they were in the manufacturing space
and when we walked through their offices they had a lot of
trophies like local town, like sports trophies for local teams
that they sponsored, and they've been doing this for like
decades or whatever, and None of this is a part of their
(07:32):
Identity of who they are. Outside of that office space I.
Everything about who they are in the real world is not being
reflected, or was not being reflected, I should say, in the
digital world and the advertising, in the marketing.
They weren't telling their brand story. They were just saying we
provide X service, and when you do that, you're basically
becoming a commodity. You're commoditizing who you are, what
(07:54):
you offer, and you're saying we're the same as everyone else.
Do you mind to pick the cheapest one? But if your brand
story is conveying a value at such an intrinsic human,
emotional level and it's one that other people can resonate
with, then you put that story out. You're gonna get the right
type of target clients coming after you. They're coming in as
opposed to you reaching out. So, knowing what those things are.
(08:14):
That is your real world reputation how people see you,
how they perceive the value of what you offer. Take their
narrative, make that your brand story and put that out there and
you'll do quite well.
Julia Licursi (08:26):
Absolutely. I'm just going off that example
because I remember exactly what you're talking about and it's
important to note that you know sponsoring those teams. It had
nothing, like you said, nothing to do with that I just like it
work yeah but it was a very strong reflection of who they
were as an internal team, as people, and that Was also I
don't know if you remember when we were developing their values.
Relationships being very community oriented, being very
(08:50):
authentic. That was very much a part of their core internal
values that we use to kind of guide their brand strategy. Yeah
, and then so, speaking of that authenticity that's, you know,
very much imbued in those kinds of, you know, personal stories
and connections like that example we just gave. I think
another thing to note is that authenticity is, you know, at
(09:13):
the center of Everything when it comes to marketing these days.
Rick Callahan (09:17):
So do you want to talk a little bit about why
brand storytelling is really important, especially today and,
yeah, you know, today's so we are more connected than we've
ever been, than ever, as a species, the human population
and you know we used to delineate generations. The
target audience is like we would just say, oh, we're looking at
(09:38):
the baby boomer generation from this age, this age, this income
level in this area. That was all you needed to know to advertise
to the right people and say we provide services, but we are so
interconnected with the internet and all this stuff now that
people's bullshit meters are so, so finely tuned, they're so
used to being barrage with so much stuff that they're just
don't not deal with any of it. So the second it feels like
(10:00):
sales. A second it feels like manipulation. Then the second it
feels like I'm just trying to emote something onto you, so you
feel a certain way. Most generations, especially, like I
would say, millennial and younger, are gonna go f that I'm
out of here, I'm done. So the best way to appeal to your
target audiences really is to know what is the story that they
have of your brand, those you've already served well, and
(10:22):
put that out there. It's just like referring yourself to other
people through the words of those you've already worked with
so a lot of times. What we'll do is we'll engage our clientele
and say why do people refer you? Word of mouth, the biggest
factor of what brings in new clients and customers to you
there's your brand story. Talk about that, why. Why are they
referred?
Julia Licursi (10:43):
What are they saying?
Rick Callahan (10:44):
What do they care about? It's probably not going
to be them saying quality products and services, but
something very specific to how their life is changed, different
, has an added value or just more enjoyable.
Julia Licursi (10:55):
And that becomes your brand messaging, your value
proposition. It's right there. You don't need to make it up
from scratch, so not making it up.
Rick Callahan (11:04):
Authentic, Listening to your customers that
already work with you. Authentic, Putting out the real
messaging of what you provide. Authenticity. If you do that,
you should be in a good spot to position your brand with that
narrative, that story. Otherwise, if you lack on any of that
authenticity or you're inconsistent with it, you change
your messaging all the time. People are going to think I
can't trust this, so they're not even going to think it. They're
(11:25):
going to feel it, they're going to know I can't trust this
person, this brand, this entity, whatever it is. So authenticity
all the way.
Julia Licursi (11:32):
Absolutely. I think also, another common issue
that people face when trying to figure out what their brand
storytelling should be is balancing that authenticity with
actual marketing strategy, because in the end, you do want
your brand to increase its awareness and hopefully drive
(11:54):
sales or whatever it is, and that really is it right there.
That's kind of what I always tell our clients. You don't need
to worry about putting your brand out there and selling your
product or your service, whatever it is, and also
maintaining authenticity, because by just being authentic
you're doing just that, so you don't need to worry about that
(12:14):
it's much easier to do that than you think.
Rick Callahan (12:16):
So walk around your workspace, whatever that is
, if you're in person and just do the experience that your
customer or client would have Like. Go pretend you don't know
anything and look around and ask people about what they do or
what are they working on, and those little nuances and
intricacies of the culture, of the vibe, of why people are
passionate about what they do in that organization those little
things are going to be the authentic moments that you can
(12:38):
capture and you can put out there. So, really, just, it's
literally what we're doing here. We're just talking about what
we knew, know and we're being ourselves and this is what gets
us seen for the integrity that we have, the knowledge that we
know and the services that we can do. We're not just saying
but our branding right, but we're talking about our subject
(12:58):
matter here. We're being authentic about it. So you guys
can do the same thing as far as social media content or email
newsletters or advertising on a billboard or whatever. Just
capture those authentic moments of passion, of enthusiasm, of
really caring about what you do or those who receive your
services or products or whatever they're passionate about it, or
(13:19):
how their life is enhanced or what value they receive. Just
showing those moments of joy and value is really what it's about
. To be able to show that authenticity.
Julia Licursi (13:29):
Yeah, absolutely. And you bring up a good point,
too, of maintaining that narrative across different
touchpoints through email, through social, through your
website. That's really what's going to build your brand
perception over time. So, by having that narrative come
across and intertwine through all of your brand touchpoints,
that'll be really important in the long term as well. Alrighty,
(13:51):
so do we have another real world example that we can give
any listeners?
Rick Callahan (13:54):
Yeah, let's talk about a narrative, a brand story
. That is less about a complete story and it's more about
putting you in the story. So there's some companies that do
this as well, so Red Bull is one of them. So if you think about
Red Bull and the advertising they do, they never really just
sell the benefits of the product itself or the features. I
should say. What they do is they have that obscure cartoon
(14:17):
commercial just to get the bread in your head. Red Bull gives
you wings, got it? But then, outside of that, where they
spend most of their advertising dollars and marketing dollars is
in these engagements in the real world that are extremely
active and action-oriented and stunt double-type stuff. Right?
So you might remember, some years back they had someone
(14:38):
jumping from the outer stratosphere, whatever way, way,
way high up and they were just gliding all the way down to the
ground. It was all sponsored Red Bull and stuff like that. No
reason other than this is an amazing feat and it's branded by
Red Bull and look, it gives you wings. You're flying through
the sky, isn't that amazing? This guy was safe, landed, good,
everything was great. And they do that stuff all the time.
(15:01):
They're constantly sponsoring these action sports things and
making sure that people know that when you think sports, when
you think action, you think adventure. When you think these
sort of things, you're thinking something like Red Bull.
Julia Licursi (15:12):
Yeah, yeah, they're really communicating
that energy that you know, the feeling that you get when
drinking Red Bull, rather than you know I couldn't tell you how
much caffeine is in a Red Bull Like. They're not just like kind
of listing out those different pictures.
Rick Callahan (15:26):
Well, that's coffee, right? Do you ever see
coffee sell itself that way? Coffee's not exciting, it's,
like you know, totally different vibe.
Julia Licursi (15:33):
It's more about the experience you know.
Rick Callahan (15:36):
So that's the story that Red Bull goes with
and it works is they're putting you as the potential customer in
the story, like it's possible for you to feel this way. Even
if you're just drinking in the middle of the work day, you
could feel like you're flying through the sky, you know.
Another one would be Coca-Cola. Yeah, they had their campaign in
the early 90s, whatever. It was late 80s something could be
even earlier but the experience, happiness, right, they're
(15:59):
selling happiness, joy, the coming together. They had the
campaign with them. They had the names on the campaign.
Julia Licursi (16:04):
Yeah, so it was the. I know that's the one I was
thinking of. I think it was like Cherico campaign or
something like that, where, yeah, they put you know different
names on the cans to really reinforce that idea of yeah, I
know right, I've watched some of them and gave some yeah, but
yeah to reinforce that idea of togetherness.
Rick Callahan (16:22):
Of sharing happiness, joy, those little
moments of life, and Coca-Cola has really stepped into that for
the last couple of decades and they're not stopping right.
Julia Licursi (16:30):
I think that's also you know that ties to the
point of knowing what your messaging is and what you want.
You know people to think about when they think of your brand
and translating that messaging into a narrative. So Coke, since
its beginning, had that, had those values, had that you know
purpose, had that messaging. You know from the start about joy,
(16:52):
happiness. You know sharing things together and they just
imbued that in different ways into you know their different
narratives to communicate that idea and that's what makes you
think, oh, coke, happiness, joy, rather than you know them
saying that it's more so about. You know showing that and kind
(17:13):
of resonating with their audience in that way connecting
those feelings to their brand, rather than you know simply
telling you that this is what their brand is all about.
Rick Callahan (17:23):
Right, so what tips can we recap for the
listeners and watchers out there?
Julia Licursi (17:29):
Absolutely so. I think you know, first and
foremost and we probably have said this in our past couple of
episodes and we'll say it in probably every other one from
here on out but knowing your target markets. It's always
going to come back to that. You know, clearly we talked a lot
about getting feedback from your consumers, your customers,
whoever they are. But you know from the start, actually knowing
(17:50):
who they are, so you know how to find them, how to reach them,
how to resonate with them. If you understand, you know their
interests, their behaviors, their challenges, you know, then
you can actually begin to shape a narrative that connects with
them.
Rick Callahan (18:06):
And you know yeah , if you look, a lot of the most
popular businesses that have come out of nowhere in the last
like 15, 20 years. These are the companies that knew, going into
creating the business, exactly what target audience they wanted
and what brand story they're putting in front of them, and
they needed to make sure that brand story was authentic. So
you know, it's something you can do too with any decisions about
(18:28):
your organization, your brand, your business, whatever it is.
For all the future strategy stuff, this brand story should
work quite a ways out. So base your decisions on that value,
that perceived value of what you're putting out there. You
know, should we expand to three more states? I don't know. Does
your brand story make sense if you do?
Julia Licursi (18:47):
So I think another big tip also is and I
talked about brand messaging before but also not letting your
brand messaging get clouded by you know. Oh, I need, like this,
really creative narrative. I think that's another issue, and
we talked a lot about authenticity, clearly, and
letting authenticity just kind of guide you. So, going back to
that, you know, having a clear and concise message, forming
(19:10):
that brand perception from the start, and not letting you know
this elusive idea of brand storytelling get in the way of
getting that message through to your target audience.
Rick Callahan (19:22):
The point of the story is to convey a particular
idea, not to mention every feature, every benefit, every
service, every, any of that. It's not about that necessarily.
It's about that end result and the impact that it would have on
those you serve. And so another tip, just to recap, is
capturing those moments of authenticity throughout your
(19:44):
organization, your brand, your product experience, whatever it
is. So this could be the customers, consumers, whoever
utilizing your product or service, and literally just
showing that, the process involved in that experience. It
could be them giving feedback and telling their story, or it
could be just pulling pieces from each of those and then
creating a narrative out of that, which is what we recommend. So
(20:06):
get that feedback, capture those videos, take those
pictures, accept testimonials from people and look at the
common denominator of all of these and generate that story
out of that, not so much what your business plan is, but
rather what's already working for you.
Julia Licursi (20:23):
And put it at the forefront of your brand, of
your messaging. Don't hide it on a website page. Just make it
consistent, all platforms, all touch points to really reiterate
that point. And eventually, that's what when people think of
your brand, that's what they think of those stories, those
feelings that are evoked, and that's really the goal of brand
(20:45):
storytelling. You want your brand people see your logo, they
hear your name. What do you want them to immediately think?
Those stories?
Rick Callahan (20:54):
So good recap. Before we wrap up, there is one
more thing. So we have a lot of great resources on our website.
Outside of this podcast, of course, julia, there's some
articles that you put up there. Anything that they should be
aware of related to this.
Julia Licursi (21:07):
Yeah, so I actually do have an article up
on the site about brand storytelling, so we'll include a
link in the show notes. So, yeah, definitely check that out,
check out the other resources on our site and, yeah, hopefully
you know you gain the insights you need to help kind of better
your brand. And if you have any questions, you could also, you
know, reach out to us on our website, reach out to us on
(21:27):
social media.
Rick Callahan (21:28):
Sounds good. Yeah , thank you. Until next time.
Until next time. See ya Bye. If you enjoyed this episode, don't
forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Also,
make sure to share this with any friends and colleagues that
you think might be helpful as well.
Julia Licursi (21:41):
And if there are any other topics you want us to
talk about or questions you have, definitely let us know by
sending us a message on social media and follow us too.
Rick Callahan (21:49):
And definitely make sure you hit the website
creativecom. Tons of resources out there. Until next time, have
a good one.
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