What’s your brand story? And by that, I don’t mean what does your company do. I mean what makes your brand human? How do you care for your customers and your community?
For some organizations, their brand story is an easy one to tell. For example, TOMS donates a pair of shoes for every pair sold, and St. Jude’s helps children fight cancer every day. It’s easy to see how these organizations have an impact on people’s lives.
But what about the rest of us? The bankers, the chefs, the designers, the agency owners, and so on… What’s our mark on the community? How do we care?
Oftentimes, it can be hard to develop a brand story, especially if our product or service isn’t outwardly life-changing. That’s why I love this recent example from UPS. If you couldn’t find the good in this package delivery company before… well, now you can:
“Every delivery starts with a wish.” By letting us in on the relationship between one UPS driver and his biggest fan, they’ve so charmingly humanized the package delivery company. They’ve demonstrated how UPS impacts the neighborhoods and communities it serves. They’ve put a goofy grin on our face and warm fuzzies in our stomach.
2015 is the year of brand stories. The only caveat is, you’re not the one telling your story — your customers are.
Mobilize Your Advocates
Recently, we recapped a talk from the Dallas Digital Summit. The Infinite Agency’s Flip Caderao walked us through the layers of our brand audience, from the advocates to the haters. “People don’t buy what you do, but rather why you do it,” he reminded us.
2015 is the year to mobilize your advocates — that is, your loyalists, your enthusiasts, and your 4-year-olds who aspire to be UPS drivers. To do that, you don’t need to spend the money on video production or a miniature truck. You need to start by listening.
Go Beyond the Standard
What role does your brand play in people’s lives? Create a forum for your customers to tell their brand story (i.e., what they love about your brand). Instagram and Pinterest will be the breakout social platforms for storytelling this year. Go beyond the standard “Post a photo.” Challenge your advocates.
If you’re Dunkin’ Donuts, perhaps you dare Instagrammers to dress up their Dunkin’ cups.
Or, if you’re headphone retailer Sennheiser, you coin the term “ear selfie” and start a new fad.
And if you’re Caribou Coffee, you develop a new coffee line inspired by fan-generated pins.
It all goes back to this: how do your customers connect with your brand? Now how can we leverage those connections to tell our brand story?
I read a blog the other day, which reminded me that some marketers still don’t get it. It was titled, Emerging Social Media Trend: Selling Out is the Norm. He explained that millennials will easily “sell out” to brands, so companies should be thinking about how they can capitalize on that.
Don’t you get it? I thought. Well actually, I didn’t just think about it, I tweeted it. Brand enthusiasm is a real phenomenon. It can be earned, harnessed, and celebrated. It’s up to you to do all three.
