They don't give a damn about your logo

Before, brands were simple.

They were logos and taglines.

The sole purpose of content was to sell.

People were just observers.

They didn't participate in the company's decisions.

It was all managers and CEOs.

As times changed, that all stopped.

Customers are more informed than ever.

You can no longer say "We're the best" and have people flocking to your business.

It all changed.

Brands are constantly chasing attention.

Chasing the next new trend.

Marketers hoping on every new platform there is.

Hoping that maybe someday or maybe someway, they'll crack the algorithm and be famous.

Chasing virality isn't a terrible thing, it's just for exposure.

That's the main aim behind it.

To show their product or service to a larger audience.

More eyeballs = more cash.

That's the age we're in.

But that's a delusion.

More eyeballs don't mean more cash.

It only means low-paying clients. If you're lucky, you'll get a few moderate-paying clients.

Brands are no longer just products that attract everyone.

Brands are no longer commercials and TV ads.

Brands are personalities, stories, and experiences.

They're our favorites and "I can't live without this" brands.

You see, to succeed today, brands need something more than a logo.

They need to become cultural icons, problem solvers, and trusted advisors.

They need to become living entities.

If you plant a small seed in fertile soil, nurture it with care and attention.

It will sprout, grow, and eventually become a tall, strong tree.

This seed is your brand idea.

Like this seed, a brand begins as a concept, an idea.

An idea that some get in the shower.

Others get it while running, writing, praying, you name it.

The activities are infinite.

But, I think that's a good start.

An idea. One idea.

An idea that sums up what the brand is all about and doesn't change with the latest trend.

The idea does not change as soon as a new shiny object enters the scene(like AI).

An idea that is original, feasible, and actually what people need.

The goal of branding is to pass on this idea.

So that it's what people think about when they come across the brand.

And for an idea to be communicated, it needs a medium.

A person expresses a personality, a brand communicates an idea.

Just like the presentation of a person, the brand's visual identity must exist and it must look its best.

And this is crucial because people's attention spans are so short nowadays. 

They only stop the scroll to view a meme or some dopamine-raising content.

Beyond the idea & the presentation of it, beyond the product or service, is what your brand stands for.

That's really the only thing people want.

To say "Good job, a brand  finally not full of bullshit"

A brand that stays true to its idea and delivers a one-of-a-kind experience.

Which is the brand's story.

BRAND STORY

No two leaves are the same.
No two people are the same.
No two brands should be the same.

A brand is a story and no two stories should be the same.

The story, or the narrative, is the soul of the business.

It's what establishes an emotional connection with the audience.

The reason you're trying to forge an emotional connection is that people buy based on emotion, not logic.

This is where the shift happened.

Products and services now turned into experiences.

Brands became protagonists in a story.

An authentic, relatable, and memorable brand.

A brand so real, you can't help but be part of it.

This is the good part.

If you can think it, you can build it.

And if you build it, you'll change someone's life for the better.

Isn't that something worth building?

PURPOSE

It is the reason behind your actions.

You can't figure out how without the why. 

You'll burn out before you can even say "f*ck this!"

Not everyone will get it. Not everyone will respect it. 

That's okay. Take your stand with the people who do.

You shouldn't focus on everyone, just the right ones.

Your purpose is why you exist.

Note** This is all about brands. 

Let's take Nike for example.

Nike's purpose:

Our purpose is to move the world forward through the power of sport. Worldwide, we're leveling the playing field, doing our part to protect our collective playground, and expanding access to sports for everyone.

"It started with a handshake.

Two visionaries, Bill Bowerman and his University of Oregon runner Phil Knight, thought they could do a better job of designing and selling shoes to runners.

They were right.

Today Nike is the world's leading innovator in athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories."

An excerpt from Nike's growth story.

They're doing something bigger than them + they're not done.

Their purpose is why they do what they do.

Here's how they fulfill their why:

• Helping communities

Their community programs and partnerships with organizations support communities, promoting sports.

• Storytelling and Marketing

Their marketing campaigns often highlight personal stories of athletes overcoming challenges.

These stories resonate emotionally with consumers and reinforce their brand purpose.

• Diversity + Inclusion

There's a lot of diversity in the Nike workforce and their advertising.

They represent a broader range of voices, making their purpose more relatable to a diverse audience.

There's a lot more.

You'd have to find out if you're interested.

You now have enough information to say, they “show, not tell.”

Show, don't tell.

This is hugely advice for writers.

Novel(fiction) writers to be precise.

Fiction introduces a whole new world to you.

Good fiction does it with images.

That is the main idea behind "Show, don't Tell"

That is exactly what you should do.

Don't keep your purpose in the back, it should inform every decision you make as a business.

Creating content people will love

Beyond everything, gurus tell you, the story is what makes the content relatable.

Stories keep brands top of mind.

Sure, other factors contribute but storytelling is the key to great content.

It's why we love movies, books, music...

When you show some statistics with numbers, charts, and stuff, it could get boring.

Unless you're interested, you'd rather not watch it.

There's no story there. No plot twists, nothing.

Same thing with posts. 

Those with no stories flop + funny enough, those with stories still flop.

The story you're telling matters but not as much as how you tell it.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen businesses claiming to be the best and that's like their mission statement.

You can tell it's not working because they're not the best.

And business should be an infinite game.

Saying "We're the best" isn't going to make a difference.

Because people are driven by story.

As I talked of Nike before, they've prioritized stories above all else.

People want to associate with brands.

The story is the reason that happens.

Different people want different things and it's the same with stories so monopoly doesn't work here and that's why there's competition.

To create a diverse collection of stories that people can identify with.

That people can be a part of.

And that's why brands help people solve the problem of choice.

So, if you aren't leveraging storytelling, you're missing out on building an audience.

Let's discuss this even further:

Take two businesses. 

Tear them apart, they do the same thing.

The resources might be different but they do the same thing.

On the outside, these two businesses are different. 

That's because of the story these businesses are telling.

Two brands can't have the same story because the experiences they provide are different.

This is why I think competition is good.

You should be happy there are so many brands.

That means many choices, different stories, different experiences + it causes people to stop providing shitty experiences.

If you want to grow your brand, you need to tell more stories.

A brand is what they tell you it is but you influence what they think it is.

I'll tell you something about competition; people see brands as similar rather than different.

Of course, these brands need something in common, like a product.

Brands with the same product can be interchanged but what makes them different is the story.

That's why brands that tell their own stories are so unique.

So, here's what you need to craft your own story.

It's called the Brand DNA. 

Just like a person has a personality, a brand also has a personality.

At the core of a brand's personality, 4 questions need to be answered.

Why are we here?
What do we want?
What are we doing today to get to what we want?
What do we believe in?

Answering these questions gives you more clarity on your brand DNA.

It is made up of:

• Purpose

• Vision

• Mission

• Values

In the order of the questions.