Backstory is the backbone of our brand building method. A brand is a story told in the marketplace and this is the story. A backstory validates the platform and instigates the messaging. A good backstory marries meaning and emotion and inspires the team. We share our process for creating a solid backstory.

We believe a brand is a story told in the marketplace. But when we got started, marketing and storytelling were worlds apart. Here is the tale of how we made the connections and built a methodology that now leads the industry (along with many other brilliant marketers).

Brand Themes are part of the brand platform, inform the brand backstory, and lead to key messaging value props. We talk about what they are, (what they aren’t!), how to articulate them, and how to use them once you’ve got them.

If the brand were a person, and it could speak to you, what would it be saying to entice you to choose it? Usually that takes the form of a very simple statement. Often there's not even a comma in it. Choose me and I'll do this for you.

Brand Archetypes are a valuable tool for embodying the personality. An archetype or avatar helps to clearly etch the voice for all those that are communicating for the brand. We discuss what archetypes are, what the risks are in using them, how to present archetypes to clients, and how to narrow in on the correct one for the brand.

Brand personality is one of the most dynamic ways to differentiate your brand, especially in the Age of Hypercommunication. It might be the only way to stand out from the crowd, depending on your industry. In any case, it’s exciting to develop and satisfying to actualize.

We're getting into the really fascinating, juicy stuff today.

If you've listened to our previous episodes, you've heard us talk about the brand wheel, which is the process model that we use for building a successful brand. In the last episode, we started in the very center of the wheel, with the brand core, and then the brand drivers are the themes right around that.

Brand core & drivers are fundamental elements of a well-built brand. The core is generally straightforward, while the brand drivers, or themes, as we call them, can take some delving to discover. Both allow you to position your brand and to keep telling your story with depth and agility.

The Brand Wheel is the definitive blueprint for a well-made brand.

Before we touch the brand, we build a thrilling vision and a plan to get there. We hear from our special guest about how storytelling can be a powerful tool to build company culture and cohesion.

Short answer: A brand is a story told in the marketplace.