The 3 Ingredients for a Successful Brand Story

At Story + Strategy, we help brands and companies tell their stories. 

So, it’s no surprise that when I was asked to join a livestream with Aliza Freud, Founder and CEO of SheSpeaks to talk about storytelling, I was asked the question: “What do brands often get wrong when trying to tell their story, and what advice do you have for how brands can get better at it?” 

Here are what I believe are the 3 necessary ingredients for a successful brand story, and without just one, like a house of cards, the whole story falls down.

• Authentic – First, your story needs to be authentic to the brand; authentic to who the brand is and what it stands for. If it’s not, consumers, viewers, the press, you name it, will see right through it.

• Emotional – Your story needs to evoke an emotion. It can be happy, sad, inspiring, make you angry, frustrated or worked up, but it needs to make you feel *something*. Have you ever shared a story with others that didn’t move you in some way?

• Thoughtfully Distributed – Lastly, and the component that is most taken for granted, is the need for a thoughtful audience-first distribution plan around the content. Your story needs to speak to your audience on the right platform and through the right channels. Think of it this way: if you create the most incredible, authentic, emotional piece of content the world has ever known, but no one sees it, does it hold any value?

Want to see a great brand story in action? Grab your tissues and watch the Special Olympics’ video spotlighting Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to become an IRONMAN, as he shares his personal goals for the future and his motivational mantra. Additionally, check out the brand-funded documentary “If You Have,” which reveals the untold story of UNICEF. Both are great examples of authentic, emotional storytelling crafted with thoughtful distribution plans at the outset, to ensure the videos reached their intended audiences, further endearing them to the brand.