Be the Brand Who Leverages Stories, Not Mission Statements

A brand is more than a logo.

It's an intangible collection of ideas, emotions, and experiences that customers attach to when they think about your company.

Do you remember the last time you read a company's mission statement? It was probably a while ago, and if you're like me, it was a snooze. That's because most mission statements are dry and lack personality.

They sound more like stuffy corporate speak than anything else.

If you want to captivate your audience and inspire them to take action, start telling stories instead of rattling off your company's mission statement and the stuff written on the website.

Stories are an incredibly effective in communicating your brand messaging because they tap into our emotions and help us connect with ideas on a deeper level than plain old facts ever could. Plus, when you communicate your message in the form of a story, it becomes memorable—which is essential if you want people to not only remember what you said but also act on it.

By telling authentic stories that resonate with them on a personal level. And the best way to do that is by leveraging your team's unique strengths and passions.

For many businesses, much time and effort are spent on developing the perfect mission statement. In fact, some big brand corporations will alter their mission statement, again and again, even forcing employees to memorize it for random pop quiz interviews with corporate.

Stupid as heck if you ask me.

Imagine if the employee instead were emotionally attached and moved by the brand's story and felt compelled to share it because it touched them more profoundly. But unfortunately, most companies don't grasp the difference between mission statements and stories, and they are only concerned with having a statement to print on paper.

Something that looks good but lacks any kind of real substance.

Disney has a theme of "Where dreams come true," and they try to ensure that visitors to their theme parks experience that. But it is when you hear the history of how Walt Disney envisioned his brand and why he built it you realize how touching it is to be a part of that vision.

And isn't that the essence of what the great ones do?

Maybe part of the problem has to do with attention spans and social media. When a world is filled with messages that have been distilled down from stories to short Tweets or 15-second TikToks, it makes it hard to convey more than a mention or catchy phrase.

Still, storytelling can (and should) be used to shape the narrative about your brand. It helps bring a sense of humanity to an otherwise cold and sterile statement. Your story doesn't even have to be your brand's history or why you built the company.

The story might be about the people whose lives you are changing. If you run a gym, you are not just building a place for people to work out. You are helping people get off medications so they can spend more time living for their loved ones.

You're helping increase life.

You're helping someone be able to walk without a cane. You're delivering feel-good endorphins for people who live an otherwise stressful day, and your classes create a sense of camaraderie for those who may feel lonely.

Use your storytelling from your point of view to discuss your mission statement more thoroughly. But also encourage any staff or customers to share with you (and others) their own genuine story of why they associate with your brand.

What drew them to you?

What do they love about it?

Listening to other people's stories and not forcing mission statements into existence can help you grow into something even more powerful than any sentence could bring to life.

The final word

In order to create a powerful story for your brand, you need to start by telling authentic stories that resonate with your customers on a personal level.

Tap into your team's unique strengths and passions to develop these stories, and make sure they are memorable enough to stick in people's minds. If you can do this, you'll be well on your way to shaping the narrative about your brand in a more humanizing way.

Join some of the best storytellers around. Easy peasy, just go here.