What makes for a compelling brand?
One that people will be drawn to, talk about, stay loyal to, and evangelize about.
Well, I’ll get right to it.
Here is a simple 7 point acronym that lists the traits of the most successful and long lasting brands.
It all has to do with telling BRAND S.T.O.R.I.E.S.
1. Storytelling
Companies that use storytelling in their brands are the ones that truly connect with their customers.
Stories can be used in telling the history and origins of the company, about how the brand is building off of what the customer already likes (providing a sense of continuity), and especially in any marketing done.
Quick Examples: think of Phil McKnight (Nike) molding the first shoe soles in his wife’s waffle iron, or Jack Daniels use of stories with ‘Old No. 7′ and how Jack got started: stories can be used to provide a sense of connection and help the listener feel closer to the company.
The fact is stories move people and connect with them faster than any other medium.
And now with social media, blogs, and websites, everyone gets a chance to tell their own stories. About themselves, and about your business.
Listen. Then tell your story.
2. Tease Them
No. I am not talking about teasing your customers like school yard kids (rhyming their name with whatever’s gross and comes to mind), or making fun of their looks and what they wear (Hammer pants are still cool, right?).
What I mean by ‘tease them’ is this.
Great brands know how to use curiosity and mystery to their advantage in communicating with their market.
They hint at something to arouse people’s interests.
Examples: Coca-Cola’s long time homage to its ‘Secret Formula’ which they play up in their ads and marketing. Or, if you have seen most hair or skin care commercials you’ll notice that this particular shampoo is made with the newest secret formula developed by ‘Top Hairologists’ (hmm…didn’t know that was a job).
That’s what I mean by tease them.
Allow for the customer to enter a state of wonder by arousing their curiosity, or playing on some mystery.
3. Objective
Everyone needs to stand for something.
Hot Idea: if you don’t stand for something, then your customer won’t stand by you.
Communicate the purpose of why you’re here and where your going.
Purpose. Passion. Vision. Mission.
It goes by many names.
Wikipedia’s objective is that information should be free, and everyone should have access to it. Google’s is to “…be the perfect search engine which would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want” (Larry Paige).
Search many big brands and you will find this as a common thread.
Tell a clear and concise story of your business’ objective because your customer wants to know what you stand for, and if they should stand by you.
4. Rituals (and Behaviors)
Now this is an really interesting one, often overlooked, and I will give credit to Martin Lindstrom, author of “Buyology”, for this valuable insight.
The human mind tries to constantly seek meaning + order.
And one of the things that most helps it is familiarity. Enter rituals: routine behaviors carrying meaning behind their actions. The perfect aide to calm the mind.
Lindstrom gives some great examples in his book regarding rituals. For you beer lovers out there, think of the ritual of putting a slice of lime into a Corona, or the slow pour of a Guinness. Each one of these are rituals (one invented by a bartender and another by the company) to give the customer something to look forward to, be a part of, and have an insider’s sense of what’s going on.
It really is brilliant.
Ask yourself what rituals can you enter into your business.
Key Point: the ritual should be in context with what’s happening, meaning it should be an integral part of the plot that is unfolding for whatever was started and tie in with the action. If you ran a BBQ restaurant you might have a ritual when ever someone orders the Texan Titan Ribs, but you probably wouldn’t have one when they got the coleslaw.
Identify passages and events/actions of notice where you can supercharge them with rituals. Then invite your customers to partake, and let the fun begin.
5. Inclusion
Everyone loves to belong.
It is a desire in all of us, and by offering people the chance to connect and feel a part of something that is relevant to their lives and gives them a sense of meaning a brand positions itself to have raving fans.
Quick Examples: Mac geeks, Harley-Davidson H.O.G. Riders, Deadheads, Jeep owners, and it goes on.
In more standard terms you might think of special VIP clubs, fan groups, and online Facebook fan pages are a great way to bring people together and connect with them.
The second side of inclusion, aside from actually belonging to a group, is to help your members feel like they belong through your communications.
Empower them to feel included through your content + communications.
I just witnessed a great example presented by James Lavers when he showed how, if you are communicating via video, to let your viewer know where you are, if there is someone behind the camera let them know, and talk to them like they are the only person viewing you.
Take them behind the red curtain.
They will feel included, important, and will want to tell others about it.
6. Emotional + Sensory Appeal
Talk to the heart. Speak to the senses.
A good brand elicits strong feelings from its customers.
If no one is reacting strongly to your brand, either positive or negative, then you are doing something wrong.
Customers have very strong feelings regarding their brands, and often defend them with strong vigor. To trot out some old horses think Mac vs. PC, Ford vs. Chevy, and recently AT&T (with the iPhone) vs. Verizon. The majority of people sit in one camp or the other.
Appealing to the senses is one of the fastest ways to reach emotion.
Giving a nod to Lindstrom and “Buyology” again, he cited in his research (which was the single biggest neuromarketing study ever conducted: 3 yrs. $7 mil.) how participants brains would react just as strong, if not stronger, to Coca-Cola’s and Marlboro’s red than the actual brand logos themselves.
Now, you might be saying, “That’s great, but I’m not Coca-Cola.” And you’re right there, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appeal to the senses of your customers and clientèle.
If you are a storefront or have an office, what does it smell like when someone opens the door? And I am not just talking about it not ‘smelling,’ but rather a signature scent that they can associate with your brand. Say, vanilla?
Or, when they visit your website, could there be a short 5 sec. music jingle that greets them?
Think how you can appeal to the senses of your market.
7. Symbols
Symbols are concentrated + relevant meaning to your market.
Through visual thinking you bypass many of the ‘mental blocks’ that people put up to stop advertising, and instantly impart meaning to your viewer.
Quick Examples: Nike Swoosh, McDonald’s M-Arches, Ferrari’s stallion, and Royal Dutch Shell gasoline’s golden shell. Each one of us would instantly know what these were in the blink of an eye.
Again, you’re no Nike, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tape into the power of visual thinking and transference of meaning.
Use your logo with all your promotional materials, and give them away to the right people (make sure they are relevant). On your website, can you have sub-symbols for your different services or products so even if people don’t necessarily identify with your bigger brand they can with the product they love?
Symbols transmit meaning. What can you do to give your customers more meaning?
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As you work on telling BRAND S.T.O.R.I.E.S. be sure to remember that a brand is a living and continuing conversation, a story, between you and your customer so be ready to adapt your S.T.O.R.I.E.S. as your customers’ worlds change.
Image Credit: kevindooley
