If you want to build a brand, do this.

I didn’t have plans to write this.

But a voice said, “Why’re you sitting here when someone needs to hear this?”

I don’t know if that is you, but if you’re building a brand, you need to know this.

You need to understand that beyond everything the gurus tell you, this is what actually builds brands.

Story.

Storytelling keeps brands top of mind.

Sure, there are other factors but behind them, the motivator, the push, is storytelling.

I’ve seen posts that are purely based on statistics flop.

Those overly technical flops.

Those with boring stories, flop.

The story you're telling matters.

Is your mission statement “we’re the best?”

It’s probably not working because, well, you’re not the best.

You might be, but saying it ain’t gonna make a difference.

It won’t get you fans. It won’t help you find your tribe.

Because people are driven by story.

The popular example we all use; Nike.

A brand that has prioritized story above all else.

Brands have become personalities.

People want to associate with the brand’s personality and story drives it.

That’s why competition exists.

To create a diverse collection of stories.

Brands help customers solve the problem of choice.

If you aren’t leveraging story, you’re a commodity.

Take two businesses.

Internally, they do the same thing.
Externally, they’re drastically different.

It happens because of the story.

Two brands can’t have the same story because the experiences they want to provide are different.

Even if they’re the same, the stories aren’t the same.

The experience might be the same, but the story leading up to that point is different.

This is why competition is good.

You should be happy they’re a plethora of brands.

That means many choices, different stories, different or same experiences.

A great brand will create an entirely different experience.

That’s also the reason no two people are the same.

If you want to grow your brand, tell more stories.

A brand is what they tell you it is.

You influence what they tell you through stories.

I often see people struggling with competition but the truth is, “customers actually think brands are similar.”

Someone might say “brand X is similar to brand Y.”

Not what you’re looking for, is it?

It’s perfectly fine when they’re operating the same type of business.

But when it comes to story, it has to be different.

That’s why brands that tell stories, their own stories, are so unique.

If you want to build a brand, tell a story.

I do this with brand identities all the time.

Each brand identity I’ve designed has a different story.

A client might show up, confused, so here are the steps I use to get them clarity.

To give it more context, it’s all in the brand DNA and brand message.

The Brand DNA

The brand DNA consists of:

• Purpose: why you exist.
• Vision: the future goal.
• Mission: the short-term goal(what you’re doing today to reach your vision)
• Values: the characteristics you exist by.

You must have a reason to build a brand beyond money because that’s not the end goal.

Money and status are not the end goal.

Build a brand not for status, but to improve the lives of others.

Quality experiences, quality communication.

When you approach it from this perspective, it’s easier to understand what you’re doing.

It’s okay to refine this as you build.

You’re not as clear as you want to be at the beginning in the middle of your journey.

So time plays a factor here.

The story you thought you had will change over time and that’s okay.

Brands need a refresh once in a while.

The Brand Message

What do you want to say?

What do you want to say so badly, you started a whole brand.

A force for change. A medium for delivery.

You can’t just craft a brand message on one brilliant idea.

An idea no matter how good it might sound in the moment, needs to be refined.

Just like if things were built on mere instinct and impulse, it’d hurt a lot of people.

That’s why you have to take some time to craft this.

When you’re on your own it’s a lot harder but with help, it’s not as hard.

Overall, brand messages can be deducted from the brand DNA because they’re all related.

They’re all parts of the story.

The delivery is an entirely different thing.

If you want to create a brand identity with a clear message, one that causes people to take action, creates more leads, more attention, and more excitement, reach out to me at tifukelison@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.

See ya.