The Strength of Storytelling

The Strength of Storytelling

By Laura Bates, Brand Verve

Competing in a crowded marketplace requires more than a company name, logo, and

product and service standards for your team to follow. To be successful, your brand should fulfill a customer need and own a distinct position in the market. Once you’ve defined your position, a unique and powerful story that resonates with customers and creates an emotional connection provides the foundation to win in the marketplace. That story becomes the script, so to speak, for how you bring your brand to life at the most critical touch points in the customer experience.

Successful brands understand that their entire organization needs to embody their own unique story. Their products and services are all part of that, and everyone in the organization has a role to tell it.

Embodying a Clear Brand Story

Southwest Airlines is a brand that believes in giving the “everyman traveler” the freedom to fly. They offer low fares, free bag check, no change fees, a fair and easy to understand loyalty program and employees empowered to provide positively outrageous service. By removing the typical travel stressors and having employees fanatically focused on creating a positive flying experience, Southwest makes it fun and easy to fly. They set themselves apart by telling their story of dedication, as well as showing it to their customers through their actions.

Every single customer interaction with the brand should be viewed through the lens of the brand story to ensure it is consistent. If Southwest Airlines were to charge change fees or bag fees, it would no longer be giving their customers the freedom to fly. It would lose its distinct position and become just another large U.S. carrier.

Product and Service Are All Part of the Story

Sonic Drive-In is another brand with a unique story. It is about taking customers back to an idyllic time, weaving a story of fun and 50s nostalgia throughout the experience, design, service and product. They re-create days gone by with a brightly lit classic drive-in design. Customers place their order through an intercom, and their food is delivered quickly by a friendly carhop. In addition to American classics like cheeseburgers, hotdogs and hand-mixed milkshakes, the menu includes festival-like food such as corndogs, footlong chili cheese Coneys, and slushies. To keep their menus relevant and interesting, they add fun twists here and there with drinks and other products. Sonic creates a fun, safe and welcoming experience while connecting with consumers’ desire for cultural nostalgia, creating a greater emotional attachment to the brand. People love the experience and the way they are able to be part of a different era, while getting the service they need in this one.

Everyone Has a Role

Ask yourself, do the employees working for your franchisees know your franchise’s story? They need to know what is expected of them and embrace the story and values of the brand they work for.

A brand that answers yes to the question of employees knowing their franchise’s story is ACE Hardware. They don’t try to be something they’re not. They see themselves as part of the fabric of a community, being the neighborhood hardware store. “Helpful” is quite literally their middle name. Their employees, donning the signature red aprons, will proactively approach you and ask what you need. When you ask them where the lighting fixtures are, they say, “That’s on aisle 27. Let me take you there.” They walk you to the aisle, show you the selection, explain the pros and cons of the different options and even provide installation advice if needed. They seem to know everything! Their advertising clearly communicates “ACE is the place with the helpful hardware folks,” and their in-store experience proves it.

Stories like ACE Hardware, Sonic Drive-In and Southwest Airlines don’t just appear out of thin air. They take time. These brands have been around for decades, and continue to be successful by staying remarkably true to their story. These are not advertising campaigns, but rather advertising being developed around their authentic backgrounds. Their stories are deeply embedded in their business, driving investment decisions and constantly evolving to stay relevant.

The Ingredients for Writing Your Brand Story

Understand the marketplace you are competing in. What do competitors offer and what do they do well? Find out what could be missing in the experience they offer and use it yourself. Be clear about the customer you’re targeting. Look to uncover their needs, desires and pain points that your competitors are not hitting the mark on. Armed with this insight, define a position that your brand is uniquely equipped to own and deliver the story authentically across all critical customer touch points.

As you do this work, be sure to engage and communicate with your franchisees as they are the ones delivering the experience and where your story lives. People love knowing why they are customers of a certain place, and I encourage you to tell your story. It will strengthen your business in the long run. 

Laura Bates is Principal at Brand Verve, a consulting firm that helps organizations grow their brand value through strategic positioning, engaging customer experiences, and innovative products and services. For more information on Brand Verve, visit franchise.org/suppliers/brand-verve.