A brand is very much a story. It has its own life. You can influence but not control it. The brand-as-story starts with the quality of your service or product, gathers speed at customer touchpoints, and takes off in gossip, word-of-mouth, press, reviews, blogs, and social media.
It’s the legend surrounding your 23-year-old CEO or your company’s humble workstation-in-the-garage beginnings. It’s the internal culture of a new, red-blooded business. It’s Web usability plus customer service plus visual identity plus inexplicable attraction. Most of all it’s what customers tell themselves and each other about the thing you offer.
Using the principles of storytelling to communicate is the best way to reach jaded consumers (investors, partners, employees, and reporters). Classic narrative is designed to hook attention, to engage and stimulate action, to be credible, relevant, and inspiring.
The story unfolds with or without your input. Why not tell it your way?