January 22, 2009 | Category: Branding | Tags: Branding

Every brand has a story to tell. Some are inspirational while others are tragic. In so many ways, building a brand is like telling a great story. At the heart of both crafts is the power to evoke emotions from the audience. Great storytellers can make you cry while branding experts can make you buy.

There are many media to tell your story from advertising, packaging to business cards. Thanks to the Internet a brand is just a click away. And just like stories, it’s not what you say but how you say it to your audience. You can use the strategies and selling points of your leading competitors but it won’t have the same effect unless told in a compelling way.

How do you develop a great story then? Start with the end. Or in the words of Stephen Covey, begin with the end in mind. Imagine you’ll be in the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine next year. How would you like your story to unfold? Do you like to tell them about your superb customer service or innovative thinking? It can be whatever you aspire your company to be. Then outline the things you need to do to make that dream a reality.

In some aspect, branding is different from storytelling for it is a two-way system. In stories, the author controls the ideas and plots. In branding, your story is a collaboration of your vision and opinions of your customers, suppliers and even competitors.

What about your logo design? It will play a pivotal role in uniting all aspects of your communication. You see ads, web design, and packaging may change from time to time but a great logo design stays the same for many years. Just like any story books, your logo is your cover.

Branding is more than just words and designs. It must be accompanied with great actions. Otherwise, it will all be a waste of time and money.