Brand Storytelling Prompts? What?
Don’t worry with the name, we are here to guide you with that.
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but the stories you tell.”
- Seth Godin (American Author)
What does it take before you feel close and connected to another person?
Their history? The ideas? Their values and strengths? The personality? Basically their story. That’s exactly why brands should excel at the art of storytelling.
We, as brands, use compelling brand storytelling prompts to communicate brand voice, language, ideas, personality, and image.
Think of brand storytelling prompts as the big question behind your brand communication: What are you talking about and trying to convey?
To understand and employ brand storytelling prompts for your business, here are a few prompts that you can play around with.
The existence story
Prompt: “Once upon a time…”
Tell the story of how your brand came into existence and what inspired its inception. If gravitational force was a brand, the well-timed apple that fell on Newton is the perfect prompt.
Ask these questions to build a story from the existence prompt :
- What led to the inception of your brand?
- How did the idea occur, and how did it work out?
- What was the core inspiration behind the brand’s USP?
Example
Vineeta Singh, the owner of Sugar Cosmetics, has walked her audience through the brand’s story several times.
In one of the interviews, she said, “We launched Sugar cosmetics five years back in 2015 when 40% of the market was owned by the two or three large cosmetic brands like the Unilivers and the Loreals of the world”.
The pioneer of new ways
Prompt: “We’re a cut above the crowd.”
Is your brand breaking a conventional pattern by thinking and acting out of the box?
The audience respects a company that treats its employees well and establishes a kinder workplace.
Breaking conventional patterns is considered a mark of innovation and leadership.
Want to build a story? Work around the following questions:
- Are you bringing more variety to your staff?
- Are you letting your employees wear Bermuda pants and take a 30-minute recreational nap in the office?
- Do you do anything to improve your employees’ mental health?
- Are you attentive to your customers’ needs and take serious action to deliver?
Example
Google has a YouTube page called Life At Google.
“It’s just someplace I can never imagine myself getting bored at.” Kelly Harrington, a software engineer, said in their video titled “What’s it like to work at Google?”
The social boon
Prompt: “For society…”
In the clutter of corporations, if you can stand out as a more human brand that adheres to its social responsibilities, you have a great chance to connect with your audience.
If your company has excellent values around social welfare and believes in giving back, here is what you can build your story around:
- Is your brand’s existence beneficial for the society in any way?
- Is your brand the face of an eco-friendly way of life?
- Do you recycle much?
Example
Here is an excellent presentation by Apple about how they brought sustainability into the ecosystem.
The humans of…your brand!
Prompt: “We like it here!”
Telling stories about people in your company, especially those your target audiences can resonate with, is a great way to establish reliability.
You can obviously pick from any of the fantastic stories you find around you, but ask these questions to get a step closer and faster :
- Is there an employee that worked through unimaginable circumstances to be where they are today?
- Is there a boy in your pantry who is also a great singer?
- Is someone in your company associated with a significant event in history?
Telling beautiful and honest stories about people helps because people believe people more than they do brands.
Example
Here, Prestyn Care allows multiple employees to share how they navigated their way through their professional life.
The breaker of norms!
Prompt: “We do it differently and better-ly.”
If your company has employed a highly effective human resource policy or management style, it’s more than just a tool for productivity.
It’s an excellent tool for your brand positioning.
Questions to ask to build a story around this prompt:
- Is your brand breaking the norm?
- Is there something extraordinary about the management style?
- Do you have employees from 7 different countries working in highly different time zones?
- Do you have a groundbreaking promotion cycle?
Example
Here’s how Netflix tells its story around breaking norms.
The knight of the adversary!
Prompt: “We shall overcome!”
If your brand went through and recovered from a challenging situation, you can connect with your audience by inspiring them never to give up.
Ask the following questions to build exciting stories :
- Did your brand go through a challenging time or face a significant financial or workforce crisis you had to deal with?
- How did you make it through, and what can one learn from it?
Example
“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of beginning again,”- says Steve Jobs as he shares the story of how he was fired from his own company (Apple) and how it changed his life for the best.
The story behind your brand name and logo
Prompt: “Remember us for this…”
Well, we saved the best for the last! A great way to stay in your audience’s heart is to give them the story behind your name and logo. They say your name, they know the story behind it, and there’s something inherently sweet and personal about that.
We won’t give you the questions to follow here. Just go wild and tell your story.
Example
The Indian Cinema actress Alia Bhatt who recently launched her ‘conscious clothing’ brand, named Ed-a-Mamma, shares the story behind her brand name and says:
“My cat’s name is Edward, and I am his Mama. So, Ed-A-Mamma!”
Need help crafting compelling brand stories?
Brand storytelling prompts are not concrete formats to market your brand’s stories. Instead, they are breadcrumbs leading you to connect with your audience by doing the one thing humans do best – Listen and tell stories.
If you want to start telling stories about your brand today, contact us at suport@loopofwords.in. We’ll help you put these prompts to the best use!
