What makes a brand stand out from its competition? For some, it’s their cutting-edge design, for others it’s their customer service. For many successful companies, it’s their ability to tell the story of their brand. When they are able to use their story to connect with their customers on an emotional level, it can inspire greater brand loyalty, trust and awareness. There is no one right way or winning formula to tell your brand’s story, but here are some of the ways brands have used a central quality to connect with their customers.
1/ Ethics
TOMS shoes, which are sold at over 500 stores nationwide and internationally, was founded on the ethos that for every pair purchased, one pair would be donated to a child in need in developing countries. The simplicity of the One for One campaign has captured the public’s imagination: they have had over 4 million views on their You Tube channel, which tells the stories of the people they have helped and the work they do worldwide. The brand thrives on making their philanthropic story the heart of their design as well as their mission; their shoes are based on the traditional Argentinian alpargata shoe style, the country where the TOMS movement first began.
(Image credit: TOMS.com)
2/ Personality
Mr Kipling’s ‘Exceedingly Good Cakes’ have been the market leader in the UK for decades. Their TV advertising features a twinkly-voiced gentleman narrating how he lovingly crafts each treat, and images of nostalgic apple-picking and soft-focus cake making have connected with several generations. Sadly, there has never been a real Mr Kipling, but the success of the marketing strategy speaks for itself. Moving into the 21st Century, Mr Kipling has acquired a social media-savvy wife; ‘Mrs Kipling’ has her own popular Facebook page with over 100,000 fans, as well as a Twitter feed.
(Image credit: MrKipling.co.uk)
3/ Roots
Chrysler took their home city of Detroit’s gritty and tough image and turned it to their advantage in their Imported From Detroit campaign. The inspirational ads, which premiered in 2009, struck a chord with an American public in the midst of economic crisis with its come-back spirit and determined tone: the Eminem Superbowl commercial has had nearly 15 million views on You Tube . Chrysler’s celebration of their birth place, despite its historical problems, demonstrates the importance of being true to your brand’s roots.
(Image credit: Chrysler.com)
4/ Nostalgia
In today’s world of slick gadgets and design obsession, Utz snack foods’ packaging looks decidedly… retro. But Utz are one of the US market leaders in snack foods, so something is working for them. As well as their reputation for quality, Utz are known for being run by the third generation of the same family, having been founded in 1921 by Bill and Salie Utz, and they rely on this nostalgia factor in their marketing. Billboard campaigns feature slogans such as We Practically Raised You, and the fact that their packaging has remained almost unchanged for years (the same little girl has appeared as their logo since the 1920s) works in their favor; Utz has become part of America’s heritage and their story has become part of their consumers’ history.
5/ Attitude
When it comes to telling inspirational stories that not only sell products but boost achievement, Nike stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Nike’s own story is one of success: they are the world’s leading supplier of sports shoes and clothes, but Nike goes far beyond this in selling an attitude that incorporates the success stories of the athletes (and their ethos is that everyone is an athlete) who use their products. Whether it is the stories of their Nike Running community, or the inspiration of their LiveStrong campaign, Nike are leaders in using real-life stories to inspire customers. The Livestrong campaign’s ability to connect with their community has been hugely successful, supportive and inspirational: their Livestrong You Tube channel, which has had around 2 million video views, tells the stories of people affected by cancer with the aim to empower their community through the message that ‘unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything!’ The Livestrong Twitter feed has over 250,000 followers, while their Facebook page has more than 1.5 million Likes.
6/ Emotion
As the number one specialty jewelry brand in the United States, Kay Jewelers have successfully used the power of storytelling to capture the emotions behind jewelry purchases in their marketing. Each commercial is a mini-movie and follows the stories behind the jewelry, whether it is a proposal, a Valentine gift, a thank-you present, or an anniversary. Kay’s tag line Every Kiss Begins With Kay sums up this attitude perfectly and shows the importance of connecting with your consumers’ emotions as much as their needs.
(Image credit: Kay.com)
A clear vision
Each of these brands uses something that is central to their vision to tell their story, and this is important to the success of their marketing. They aren’t trying to convince their audience of anything that isn’t at the heart of what they do, which gives their stories the genuine feel that is so vital in connecting with their audience.
Originally published in Mashable