Show And Tell: How Narrative-Driven Branding Strategy Generate Success

Every brand has a story, and there’s a good chance we’ve heard it all whether it’s through their product philosophy or social media persona. In today’s marketing landscape, brand storytelling matters for many reasons – from strengthening a sense of relatability to establishing emotional connection – but most importantly, it appeals to the human need to connect with others through story. 

The common denominator for brand storytelling is aspiration, where brands aim to make consumers feel like the person they aspire to be through their product or service. While brand story success may sound elusive, successfully achieving it is not uncommon. So, what role does storytelling play in a brand’s success, and what are some real-life examples we can take inspiration from? Let’s delve into it. 

Why does the storytelling matter? 

Have you ever felt, in some capacity, connected to a brand? Whenever you use their products or services, it feels like that brand just gets you and effortlessly fits your lifestyle. When this happens, that’s an example of successful brand storytelling.  

Essentially, brand storytelling means a continued, conscious effort to establish emotional connection with consumers based on what values the brand shares with their core audience. A good brand story invokes empathy, exudes aspiration, all while promising new experiences and demanding urgency.  

Storytelling matters due to the significant role it plays and how it utilises narratives to create a well-defined, value-driven connection between the consumer and the brand. This way, it will establish and understanding on how to create authentic stories that resonate with an audience instead of just trying to jack up sales. In due time, a strong brand loyalty will develop and consequently, higher sales. 

Real-life examples 

 Brands with loyal cult followings usually have an interesting story entwined in their philosophy and product DNA. An example of this is Glossier, an American beauty brand that first blew up in the late 2010s. Glossier emerged into the zeitgeist during an interesting time where beauty maximalism were all the rage, with intense colors and bold looks dominating the conversation. However, Glossier subverted the current trends by making minimalism its core identity, resulting in an image of real, effortless beauty trademarked by their key color of millennial pink.  

In this case, Glossier successfully told the aspirational story of the “Glossier girl” with flushed cheeks and perfectly imperfect makeup, as opposed to the mainstream trend at the time where beauty brands aimed for flawlessness. Upon scrolling the aesthetically curated Instagram feed of the company, consumers aspire to emulate that Glossier girl image and as a result, more inclined to use Glossier products to achieve it.  

The Glossier case shows that the most compelling brand stories are based on authenticity. Glossier’s leaning towards embracing one’s imperfections while boldly defying trends resonated with a significant audience and eventually became the brand’s legacy to this day.  

Achieving it 

So how do we hit the elusive sweet spot of brand storytelling success? Experts at Acorn Strategy agree that incorporating storytelling into marketing takes time and practice. With a well-established brand strategy, we can implement the following insights to create a compelling story: 

• Keeping it real 

While raising sales should be one of the most important goals, it shouldn’t be the only objective. By staying true to the brand’s values and leaning towards authentic stories that resonate with core audiences can go a long way. However, be mindful to avoid offering unrealistic solutions that could potentially backfire.  

• Maintain a straightforward concept 

While it’s true a brand story is encouraged to be highly nuanced, but it should boil down into a simple equation of “problem-solution-success”. This three-part model helps your marketing team in determining the problem your brand set out to solve, followed by the solution that your brand offers, ending with how lives will flourish once this success has been achieved. 

• Define your purpose 

In order to have a coherent narrative that aligns with brand values, a clear purpose is needed. What would your brand like to accomplish? How would you like to be perceived by consumers? This will give you a clearer roadmap on how to emotionally connect with your audience, and increase your chances into becoming a top-of-mind name in the long run. 

Moving forward 

From the insights above, it can be concluded that creating a solid, authentic story about what the brand is all about and defining a product DNA are crucial in crafting an interesting story to reel in consumers. By identifying your values, areas of expertise and what problems your brand seeks to solve, you’re on your way to create a story that centers your own philosophy and consumers’ lifestyles.  

At Acorn Strategy, we believe that storytelling is an important part of strategy and just as crucial as data-driven numbers. Get in touch with our marketing and strategy experts to confidently make mighty moves for your brand and reach new heights!