There are few things in life that strike a deep and emotional chord like a well-written brand story. Taking the time to tell your audience about your brand, why it exists, and the journey that it took to get where you are are all key factors in telling a captivating and engaging brand story. It’s something that every brand aspires to create and all of us want to hear.
Our advice is to start from the beginning and identify the who, why, when, and what. Take every detail that was crucial in the creation of the business and begin writing the story.
To help you in our journey, let’s take a look at two brand story examples. One from a fresh young company that executed perfectly, and the other from a well-known company that took a chance but ended up totally missing the mark.
Mejuri: A Golden Example of a Good Brand Story
An example of an extremely successful company that has an excellent brand story is Canadian-based eCommerce jewellery retailer Mejuri. This young company was founded in 2013 with a focus on bringing luxury pieces into the everyday lives of women.
Mejuri identified early on that their female target demographic appreciated and responded to transparency around product and price. So Mejuri took steps to communicate how their unique pieces are handcrafted and how costs are calculated. Mejuri made it a priority to develop an experience where their customers can see the “old-fashioned” ways of making jewellery and to witness the talented craftswomen from around the globe who craft it.
Mejuri also focused heavily on creating a luxury buying experience designed by women, for women. Unlike larger jewellery retailers, they don’t market to husbands and boyfriends. They market directly to the empowered woman who wants to indulge in a jewellery purchase all to themselves.
With over 89% of their customer base being women, they successfully achieved their goal and are quickly becoming one of the most well-known and affordable jewellery brands in North America.
Now that’s a golden example of a brand story well told.
Dove: A Misshaped Brand Story Mistake
Making mistakes in this process of telling your brand story is common. From telling multiple stories, to having a lack of clarity, to the biggest mistake of marketing a story that is not cohesive with the overall brand.
Crafting the perfect brand story can be difficult, even for those who know their brand well.
One example of a company that developed a story that didn’t compliment their brand is Dove and their “Real Beauty” marketing campaign. The campaign focused on celebrating body positivity for women and was considered one of the most successful in the marketing world until they released a collection of bottles that were meant to represent the different body types of women.
The problem was that they only released 7 bottle designs which essentially forced women to adhere to what was available, whether or not they felt they were properly represented or not. This achieved the opposite of what Dove had always sought out to do which was to promote uniquely individual body positivity.
Ultimately the campaign ended disastrously as many women made it clear that this type of bottle design made them feel more self-conscious. Epic fail.
Brand Story Matters
These are just a couple of examples in a sea of major successes and epic fails. However, one thing remains constant, brand stories are the backbone of everything you do. So spend time evaluating the who, why, when, and what and create your narrative.
So what’s next?
Saying “I’m going to create the perfect brand story!” is one thing, and actually doing is another… We can help. If you would like to speak with us about creating your brand story, reach out!
Have examples of companies with a killer brand story? Share them with us in the comments below!
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Article Written by:
Angelica Nicole Greene-Barrales
Marketing Lead at Little Bear in the Forest | Digital Marketing Collective
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