T
he 6 C’s of
Story Branding: A Breakthrough Approach To Identify and Develop A Compelling Brand Story
By Jim Signorelli
Since the beginning of language, stories have helped us understand human nature. By helping us identify with characters during their quests to achieve certain goals, stories teach us important lessons about who we are and what lies within our own potential. But this teaching is done through implication, not explanation. Stories don’t tell us how to think or what to value. Rather, they provide a welcomed freedom to self-select the truths we read into them. This is why they can be immensely powerful.
In many ways, stories provide a great example for brands to follow. Brands, like stories, also contain truths. But whose truth is it, the brand’s or ours? It is one thing for brands to push their meanings on us, and quite another to help us to our own conclusions. Too much advertising tells us how to see things or what we should believe is important. As a result, we are often inundated with facts that can be argued, and opinions that are self-serving. It is hard to form a willing relationship with anyone, let alone a brand, that tries too hard to convince us of its own importance.
What is a story? In simplest terms, a story is made up of a character (or characters) dealing with obstacles to achieve certain goals. The extent to which stories help us connect with our own truths is a function of how well we can identify with the values, beliefs and feelings experienced by its character.
To help brands become more story-like, the StoryBranding process provides a template to aid communications
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planning. The brand is substituted for the main character who is described as having functional capabilities and is additionally infused with values and beliefs that resonate with audiences. In all cases, the brand’s ultimate goal, apart from increasing sales and profits, is to influence a relationship with the prospect. It is assumed that sales and profit growth are a function of this relationship. Attempts to force a relationship impede progress. Once the relationship is formed, it becomes the foundation for an enduring loyalty that the customer proudly subscribes to. Achieving this goal is sometimes evidenced by customers who proudly display the brand’s logo on apparel, car bumper-stickers or, in extreme cases, body tattoos.
As is the case with stories, there are obstacles in the brand’s path towards its goal. These must be identified and dealt with before the desired relationship is achieved.
Working with this model, there are six steps that should be taken to apply its usefulness to a particular brand. They are called the 6 C’s. Following is a brief explanation of each step and how to apply it to your own brand.
Step 1: Collect the Back Story
We start by digging up the back story. In traditional marketing parlance, this is often referred to as the situation analysis. This provides the background necessary to explain the problem that must be solved for the brand. Every back story is different but usually consists of any and all
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