Brand Success Story: Your Business’s Personal Case Study
Think about your recent mid price purchase. I'm not talking about groceries, but say a phone, or computer. Why did you chose to buy it at that shop and not another one, or online?
There is a good chance that it is because of the way the sales person made you feel.
There is a reason why JB HiFi did so well despite a retail slump. Their floor staff are really good at making you feel like you can trust them.
And that's their Brand. So what is your Brand?
What is your Brand Story?
It is easy to overlook a Personal or Business Brand Story. There are many who see it as a vanity piece designed for self-promotion. While that is not wrong, the value of a Brand Story is a lot more important then you think. And in a world where there is no lack of video content, it may be the one piece of marketing that you can do without much overheads.
Looking through any physical or online bookstore, you will see that there is an uptick in Biographies and Memoirs. You will almost always find a biography or memoir on the top 10 or 20 reading lists in many book stores.
But wait, biographies are not Brand Stories…. Or are they?
“What others say about you when you are not in the room”
It is no longer about colours and logos. It’s about your story, your world view, and your expertise.
Every Business was started by a passionate individual or group. Every organisation is made up of people and culture that “informs” how they provide the services that they do. What is that story?
Here’s a really interesting Brand Story about a Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant in Melbourne. It wasn’t done by us, but it serves as a really good example of what the story behind a business, can do for that business.
What is a Brand Story?
Just like a Customer Success Story, or a Case Study, your Brand Story starts with your success.
How did you achieve that success?
Now it is important to note that success doesn’t necessarily mean becoming famous, or making a million dollars in a year. It could be as simple as overcoming odds to get your business running. Or getting your first customer; or simply finding the reason to get this business or initiative going.
The difference between a Brand Story and a Case Study is that your journey reveals the motivations behind your company and showcases what it believes in.
Why Brand Stories Work in Marketing?
Brand stories are emotional roller coasters that bring your audience on a journey. It follows a Hero, that is you or your business, who identifies a gap or problem in a product or market, discovers a mentor and/or a special gift that leads, you to overcoming that gap. The result is a new way of doing things that will help others live or work better.
This journey draws your potential customers to get to know you or your business’s motivations and way of doing things.
When someone understands you or your business, they will form an emotional relationship with you.
Unlike Explainer/Corporate Videos that lay out the logical reasons for your business’s existence, Brand Stories that anchor the explainer/corporate video adds the human touch.
And that could be the reason they will buy or want to do business with you. After all, we generally want to buy from or do business with people or brands we like.
How do I use Brand Story Videos in Marketing?
Brand Story Videos can be used with or in the absence of case study or testimonial videos. You can use them to attract attention to your business at the top of the Sales Funnel. Distributing it on Socials, YouTube, and on your website landing page(s) can be a really good way to show your potential audience what your business is about.
Here the brand story should be about the passion behind the business; that is, the strong “Why” you exist. Your customers may not be ready to buy immediately, but it will leave a lasting impression in their minds.
You can use brand story videos as alternatives to Case Studies or testimonials in the Middle of the Sales Funnel. This is especially powerful if the brand story is tied to the key point of difference in your product offering.
While it may not be as powerful as a Case Study, in the absence of one, the brand video attaches an emotional impact to your product or service feature. That is what you want a Middle of Funnel video to do.
Are there Different Types of Brand Story Videos?
I think to answer this question, it is easier to talk about what makes a video a Brand Story Video:
A Brand Video is what you or your staff say about your business, and why that matters.
So brand story videos include: 1) Business Genesis Videos: Why you formed your business and why it matters to you that your business exists.
2) Staff Highlights Videos: This is where your staff shouts out on why the love what they do. This can be videos celebrating a long time staff, or a collection of comments of staff talking about working at your business.
3) Mission and Values Videos: While this sounds like a very corporate, business-like video, what is important here is tone of voice. And that will change depending on who you are talking to. Generally, if your clients are fortune 500 CEOs, you wouldn’t use a funky or cool video to talk about mission and values… Or you may just to stand out from the crowd. The idea is to tie your business values to an emotional hook that is relatable to the audience listening.
4) Behind-The-Scenes Videos: Revealing what goes on behind the shiny exterior. Allowing your business to show its engine’s strength and even its vulnerability is a good way to allow your potential customers to relate better. Even letting your staff, within reason, to post snippets of working with your business can be a good way to show transparency.
Remember that none of these are mutually exclusive. For example, you can make a Genesis video that ties into your mission and values; Or, a Behind-The-Scenes with the Staff Highlights video.
The most important thing is to show that your business is a likeable, living, breathing entity.
How do I Start Making Brand Videos?
Just like any Video Marketing, start by knowing who you are speaking to – Your Audience.
That directly informs where you want to share your brand story, and how to tell it.
Oh… Step back… I made the assumption that you know your brand story already… First, know what your brand story is. It could be Your Story; a group of people’s stories. Essentially, answer these questions:
Why does your business exist?
What was the journey that lead to it?
What are the hurdles that assisted or jumped to get to this?
How the journey has driven your business to this point?
What are the unique things about your business and/or its culture?
How do you celebrate that uniqueness?
Not every question needs to be answered in every brand story video. Some may have more stories then others. For example, you may have business partners, or a staff of 10; each one with a unique story to tell about your business.
I know this word is thrown around alot, but Authenticity is the key.
Finding where your audience consumes their media will determine the format to best tell your stories… You would use TikTok differently from LinkedIn.
If you are not sure how to answer these questions or need help to workshop them and create these videos, you know who to call…
How much does a corporate video production cost? Well, how long is a piece of string is the common answer.
However, in this story, let me break down the actual cost of a video production so that you know what you are paying for and if someone may be charging too much.
Gunnar Habitz is the author of 2 practical books on Social Selling and Social Branding: “Connect and Act” and “Social Selling for Jobseekers”
The question of which Social Platform to use for any business is always difficult. You can’t hit all channels, so how do you choose which one to use? And is it then wise to niche down the target audience for your brand?
