The Brand Narrative
When it comes to branding, our first question has to be ‘What is the narrative behind the brand?’
The narrative of a brand is summed up in the brand mandate or mission statement: what it is that the business does; what does the brand provide those it serves, and why does it matter? Just as the moral of a story is the core idea or truth that the story expresses, the brand narrative needs to define and express the core truth about the business it represents. It is the motivation and meaning at the heart of the business mandate.
Before a business can summarise its mission statement, it needs to have thought through every aspect of the business that relates to the brand, so that the narrative becomes the integral backbone of the brand and all related marketing. Whether the subsequent marketing involves writing content for the web, creating a brochure, or coming up with a company name or logo, the brand substance, or narrative, must be at the heart of the initiative. All marketing efforts ought to correspond uniformly to the essence of the brand mandate.
Essentially, a brand will connect the company it represents with the people it serves. The brand narrative gives meaning to the identity of the business, and what it does. A brand narrative evolves strategically over time, responding to new customers and changing markets and underlying our critical interactions with customers and stakeholders. Brand narratives are key business drivers. If the brand narrative is coherent and relevant, it will promote customer awareness, trust and loyalty, which in turn produces growth and profitability.
The brand narrative needs to be one that drives key business decisions as well as marketing communications. The primary elements of a strong brand narrative are clarity, character, and consistency.
Clarity is conveyed in the content of a brand; who we are, what we do, who we do it for, why it matters to them, and how it differs from what others offer in the marketplace.
Character is conveyed through the brand personality, which needs to reflect the values that will connect the company with its audience. These values need to be communicated at an emotional level.
Consistency is conveyed throughout all marketing, transactions, communications, actions and accomplishments, so that there is unity and uniformity strengthening the brand presence in the marketplace.
Ultimately, it is the brand narrative that carries the entire meaning of the company it represents, answering the fundamental question of ‘Why?’ Why is it that I am better placed to meet my customer’s needs than anyone else? Why was my company logo designed to look the way it does? Why do my press releases read the way they do? Why would someone choose my products and services over those of anyone else?
Once the brand narrative has been established, and these questions have been answered, the task of creating important communications tools will be relatively straight forward. The key messages that keep the initiatives on point, the speeches and marketing communications that rally investors and potential customers, the copy and design that accurately and powerfully convey the company identity to consumers, will all follow the brand narrative.
