Brand storytelling is sharing your company’s narrative with your audience, while communicating your core values, and what makes your brand unique to your competitors.
There are five key steps to do this, which include:
1. Connect to your core values.
If you don’t know what you stand for as a brand, how can you expect consumers to know? Connecting with your core values means understanding what it is you’re selling and how that affects something bigger than the bottom line. It’s the narrative you share to help audiences understand what your goals are, why they matter, and how you plan to make them happen.
2. Share those values with your consumers.
Show don’t tell. We believe in the power of education and in the concept of having a “never-stop-learning” mindset. One of the many ways we show this is by creating larger than life, giant-screen IMAX® films that play in science centers and museums across the world. Our work speaks for itself, and our film themes are consistent – nature, exploration, and dreaming bigger. However, technology is being consumed is more ways than ever and storytelling can be shared across multiple platforms. From IMAX® to iPhone, we’ve worked with clients on a variety of digital media content, including interactive stories and even attractions.
Anything your brand can dream is possible, it just depends on who your audience is and what will resonate the best with them.
- Why does sharing brand values matter?
- First, it sets you apart from the crowd. Your values may be similar to others, but when you’re unique with your approach and have a clear and authentic voice, that will come across in your storytelling.
- This helps build transparency and trust for consumers.
- When your audience knows who you are and what you stand for, and they share those core values, it helps foster brand loyalty.
3. Know your narrative.
Our company was humbly started by a thirteen-year-old boy with a love for film and surfing. While our early roots will forever be engrained in surfboards and beach hair, our company grew along with our founder and went from surf films to Hollywood to the Smithsonian, and across the world. This all happened because of the never-stop-learning attitude of Greg MacGillivray. He has always pushed for bigger, better, and more extreme ways to show his films in the best possible way. And he wanted to show others the value of dreaming big and exploring the world. This has been the key to our company’s success – a combination of hard work and knowing who we are as a brand.
4. Tell stories in an authentic way that resonates with your audience.
There are plenty of ways to tell the story of your brand, but two components of successful brand storytelling are that you make it visual and emotional.
- Visual storytelling, and
- Emotional stories
When it comes to visual storytelling, many brands have adopted new and creative ways to share their story in interesting and tech-savvy ways. From VR, AR, LED screens and live interactive experiences, this is the golden age for brands to branch out and be seen and heard as well.
A few companies that have created interesting and unique storytelling experiences for their consumers are Disney with their “VOID: Step Beyond Reality” immersive VR experience, Vyking’s proprietary 3D foot tracking for AR applications, allowing users to “try on” shoes before purchasing them, and even Discover Long Island, which had us create a virtual reality film that could be viewed anywhere highlighting surfing in Montauk, wine tasting in Long Island Wine Country and exploring the Gold Coast Mansions. This was shown in an ice cream truck turned mobile visitor center. It helps to be creative and think how you can set yourself apart.
5. Align your story with a mission.
You should always have a strategy with everything you do. From social posts to press releases, and all the brand marketing between, it’s important to remember the focus on mission. By having this top of mind, it helps keep your messaging consistent, and your values known and true. This is how consumers will remember you and differentiate your brand from the rest. Afterall, the best stories are the ones that come from a raw place with a unique voice. Be 100% authentic to you and your story will write itself.
