Develop Your Brand Story Your brand positioning statement is a 25 to 35 word statement that captures the essence of your brand. Your brand story is the reason you do what you do and why the market should buy from you, told in a compelling 2-‐3 paragraph format. You’ll use it in your marketing materials, website, personal interviews, press releases and more. You’ll write both in this exercise.
Summary EXERCISE SUMMARY When to Address
Who Should Participate Where to Use the Results Why it’s Important
After you’ve developed your brand strategy Business leaders: company founders, owners, presidents and vice presidents Marketing and sales leaders Your brand positioning statements and brand story will be a part of your core company messages that you’ll use throughout your sales tools & literature, marketing campaign messages and interactions with the market. Writing your brand positioning statements and story gives your creative team reference material for creative and campaign design.
Your brand positioning statements and brand story will summarize your brand What Builds Upon it promise and parts of your brand strategy. A few hours to a few days, depending on your situation Timeframe to Completion Potential Business Impact Deliverable
High – for all Brand Strategy exercises
You’ll write your brand positioning statements and brand story
Brand Strategy Develop Your Brand Story
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Next Steps
Define your brand visual requirements
Target Completion Date
PARTICIPANTS TASKS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DUE DATE
Notes
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Develop Your Brand Story
What to Complete
1. CREATE YOUR BRAND POSITONING STATEMENTS 2. WRITE YOUR BRAND STORY
Where it Fits in Brand Strategy Summarize Your Brand Audit Your Brand Internally Audit Your Brand Externally Analyze Audit Results Choose Brand Type Confirm Your Value Proposition Select a Brand Theme Determine Value of Your Features & Benefits Chart Your Emotional Benefits Determine What Your Brand Means Create Your Brand Personality Traits Create Your Brand Promise Define Your Brand Strategy Create Your Brand Positioning Statements Write Your Brand Story Select Brand Visual Requirements Match Visual Requirements to Existing Brand Define Brand Operational Requirements Match Operational Requirements to Existing Brand
1. CREATE YOUR BRAND POSITONING STATEMENTS
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Your brand positioning statement should succinctly capture the essence of your brand. You may want to pull in the key points from exercise 24 – Define Your Brand Strategy for reference. YOUR RESULT OUR VALUE PROPOSITION THE STRONGEST EMOTIONAL BENEFITS WE DELIVER WHAT OUR BRAND MEANS OUR MARKET SEGMENTS’ GREATEST PAIN OUR HUMAN PERSONALITY TRAITS BRAND THEME BRAND PROMISE ARCHITECTURE
Your goal is to create a clear, concise, meaningful statement. Don’t elaborate on the why, how, and where just yet. Review the criteria in the table below before starting and apply the ideas to your statement. BRAND POSITIONING STATEMENT The essence of this statement is going to be used throughout your materials, so it may take time for you to get it right. You may also decide to give your branding exercise to a copywriter to hone. Ultimately it should meet all of the following criteria:
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POSITION STATEMETNT CRITERIA
STATUS
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Is it crystal clear what you stand for?
Yes
Needs work
Is it written in the active tense?
Yes
Needs work
Is it written in plain English without long sentences, awkward structure or jargon? Is it compelling?
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Is this statement truly the reason that your customers should buy from you and not your competition? Does the statement apply only to you and not your competitor(s)?
2. WRITE YOUR BRAND STORY Your brand story is longer and can be anywhere from a few paragraphs to a few pages. Stories can be very powerful and were the way humans communicated ideas, concepts and history for hundreds and hundreds of years. To come up with your brand story, brainstorm on these topics: USE IN YOUR CREDIBILITY: Why are YOU qualified to sell this product? STORY?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
DIFFERENTIATION: Why are you DIFFERENT from everyone else who sells this type of product? (Be positive and truthful.)
USE IN YOUR STORY?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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Yes
PURPOSE: Why are you in business? What difference or IMPACT are you trying to make? (Be emotional if possible. People want to know that you care.)
USE IN YOUR STORY?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
INTRIGUE AND PERSONALITY: What makes your story worth listening to? What will USE IN YOUR appeal to the customer on a personal level? STORY?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Now put this information into a story format. “Our Story” Look back at your story – here’s what it needs to accomplish:
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CRITERIA It builds credibility
STATUS
It conveys your brand identity
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
Yes
Needs work
It differentiates you from your competition It shows you have a purpose It has personality It gives the market a reason to listen to you
Once again, you may need a copywriter to write the story or polish your own version. [Copywriting and Graphic Design and Vendor Selection can help.]
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Develop Your Brand Story
Report 1. OUR BRAND POSITIONING STATEMENTS 2. OUR BRAND STORY This report summarizes our results from completing Exercise 25 – Brand Strategy: Develop Your Brand Story.
1. OUR BRAND POSITIONING STATEMENTS The essence of this statement is going to be used throughout our marketing materials and communications with the marketplace to support our brand strategy: BRAND POSITIONING STATEMENT
2. OUR BRAND STORY “Our Story”
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