Story Arc
The ways in which we build a brand is through communicating a story to those who would listen. Stories have been around since we were able to communicate and interpret each other’s experiences. As humans we are indulged in stories as it can resonate with us so we usually get emotionally attached to them.
Brands can tap into the emotional feelings of their audience by creating stories that are fascinating to listen to. If your an Enterprise Tech company, you can maybe create a video demonstrating how your product helped a business to develop a life saving drug that affects a particular demographic. You can use these as ways to capture the emotions of buying groups for large enterprises. They want to be apart of the feeling of being a hero.
Exposition → Rising Action → Climax → Falling Action → Resolution
The flow above is how a story arc is usually transitioned. A character is usually introduced in the ‘Exposition’ stage then hits a roadblock in the ‘Rising Action’ and usually ‘Climax’ after that. We don’t have to think of marketing in that much depth when it comes to selling our brand, products, or services but just using these stages as a way to build a story is helpful.
The Hero is the Consumer
We know that there is usually a hero and villain present within movie story arcs. You can also labeled them protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist is the hero in the movie and is usually the main character. The antagonist is the villain in the movie and opposes what the hero stands for.
When you are building a brand it is best to position the consumer as the hero in this story. You want them to feel attach to your story so much that they think it is them who is on this mission. This is how you get loyal fans to your brand. The messages you create has to align with the story you built.
The hero in your branding have to be the target audience that you aim to sell to. The ability to capture the emotions of those individuals is crucial to resonating with them.
Choosing the right platforms
When you start promoting your brand to the world then specializing in a social media platform can help to build your brand presence. If you choose to tweet for your brand then using Twitter can seem with a more directional way to communicate to your audience.
Some of the platforms you choose to tell a story on can impact how your brand is perceived. For instance, TikTok, an algorithmic platform that runs short form videos can usually capture attention only for a short time. Knowing the format of of chosen platform will help you to formalize a story’s elements.
When we want to send a clear message, choosing where that message will appear is crucial in knowing your audience. Choosing the wrong platform can place your brand in a bad position if your not familiar with the particular vernacular that users choose to communicate with on that social media platform.
Calls to Action
For a story to be compelling enough for a consumer to purchase your product or service, the offer have to be one of a kind. You have to turn it into a one of a kind offer through a story format. If you want customers to believe in what you sell then making them feel that they have a say in their problem will create a symbiotic relationship.
The content you put out into the world will build a brand story that consumers can grasp to. When you post an offer for your product or services after several posts of relevant content then consumers can appreciate the time you spent building a rapport with them. They would feel more compel to take action on your call to action because you have been providing value for free.
It is why creating content is very valuable before you make an offer that they can’t resist. In a story format, your content can be more appealing as people will want to read/listen to more of it and potentially interact as well.
Resolution - Conclusion
In Marketing and Advertising you can not have your customers believe that their story has concluded since you are always selling. The brand must make people believe that if they keep purchasing products from you then they are always a hero on a mission in their own life.
A prime example could be Apple’s Ad campaign, “Think Different”, It brought a story that made the consumer felt as if using their products made them think differently. It was in times where Apple faced many competition in the consumer PC Industry. In fact it was in response to IBM’s “Think” slogan. A behemoth at the time, and they used that slogan in their Ads to capture the emotions of consumers with their ThinkPad laptops.
Apple being the underdog in this situation was more creative in their Ad as they wanted consumers to know with Apple’s product you are different. They plaster their Ads with historical figures who thought different. The juxtaposition of this gave them a more better appeal to the masses. The masses usually root for the underdog as they like a good story so that already a leverage Apple had.
As you look at campaigns like the one from Apple, you have to know who you are selling to. It helps to understand your audience more if you are them. The reason behind Apple success is Steve Jobs being the rebel that he is. Jobs was the identity of Apple as his lifestyle resonated with what it stood for. Simplicity.
As you think about the ways in which to begin your brand’s story. Think about yourself in this context and some of the values you have. Think about the mission you are on in your profession. How will that resonate with the audience, how do you feel about a story like that? Is it captivating to you.
We have to distill elements that we find intriguing to listen to, watch, or read about when we think about story. It is most important to attach those elements to the product specification as well. If it is a innovative design then you can use an element in the story like “Theme”, will your brand be known as an innovative brand or not. If you want to be agile and change themes for different product lines then you have to think about your company’s value, do you value ‘innovation’ overall?
When crafting the specific narrative you wish to develop, keep the consumer at the forefront. They should be the protagonist in this tale, so begin by envisioning yourself as the hero embarking on this journey. From there, you can shape the narrative effectively by portraying yourself as having overcome the challenge and now seeking to assist others in doing the same.
In the end, it is all about the way your brand made the end consumer feel. If they felt good listening to this story then you have them sold on anything you are selling that will help them in their hero’s journey