From Bullet-Point Business to a Brand With a Story

Written on May 8, 2014 by Jay Ehret in brand building, brand story, marketing plan, podcast

Chapter 2 of The Marketing Plan Podcast

Level 1 Branding: Four Questions to Write Your Brand Story

Good stories are hard to ignore. A brand with a story is a brand that matters. Stories are especially powerful because they allow customers to gather around your business with commonality. Stories create communities. So why aren’t there more good brand stories?

Because businesses tend to present themselves as a bullet-point list of features, benefits, and price tags. Is that the best way to present your business? Not if you believe this advice from Tom’s Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie:

“If you organize your life around your passion, you can turn you passion into your story and then turn you story into something bigger; something that matters.“

In Chapter 2 of The Marketing Plan Podcast, I’m going to help you write your brand story. My four, Level 1 Branding Questions will drill down into your entrepreneurial soul, and reveal the essence of your brand. That essence will write your brand story. Press play and get started.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Email Subscribers and Feed Readers, click here to listen: Creating Your Brand Story

The Level 1 Branding Questions:

1. What is your core ideology? (what you believe)

Your creed; what you stand for and the reason you exist.

2. What are your core values? (timeless guiding principles)

The decisions that guide our brand. They are your core, you decide what they are, not a focus group.

3. What is your mission? (your purpose and reason for being)

What you accomplish for your customer, and what will you change? This is the motivation for doing your work.

4. What is your vision? (what you will become)

The envisioned future of your brand. What you aspire to achieve or create.

To learn how to turn your answers into your brand story.Listen to Chapter 2 in the player above.

Download the worksheet: Level 1 Branding Questions
Listen to Chapter 2 for complete guidance through questions and examples of answers.

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Category Archives: marketing plan

Chapter 2 of The Marketing Plan Podcast

Level 1 Branding: Four Questions to Write Your Brand Story

The Level 1 Branding Questions: