How to craft a compelling brand narrative that resonates

Ever found yourself struggling to remember a brand name and turning to Google with something like “the calorie-free pastries brand” or “the dog walker who was bitten by a dog”? These brands might not even exist, but if they did, Google would likely know exactly who you meant.

That’s the power of compelling brand storytelling.

A good brand story brings your company to life in a relatable way. It’s not just storytelling for the sake of it—research shows that 20% of brands with strong stories see a boost in customer loyalty, and 68% of consumers say brand stories influence their purchases.

So, how do you create a brand story that sticks with customers without oversharing or misrepresenting your brand?

Keep reading to find out.

1. Define your brand’s unique selling point and core values.

A brand’s unique selling point can be as complex as offering a product/service no one else has or as simple as replying to customer questions in five minutes or giving shoutouts to top customers on social media.

Your brand’s unique selling point often lies at the intersection of your passion and core values. Take Burt’s Bees, for example. This skincare brand’s unique selling point centers on producing products using beeswax and natural ingredients. This unique angle came from the founder’s passion for nature and core values of sustainability.

The goal of your brand’s unique selling point and core values is to make it clear what your brand stands for, what drives you, and what you value. Relatable, clear core values help attract the right customers while naturally deterring those who aren’t a fit.

2. Know your audience.

After deciding what product or service you want to sell, the next most important step is to know your audience inside out. This means understanding what drives them, their interests, their pain points, and what they’re passionate about.

You might wonder how buyer personas connect to brand storytelling—here’s how. Imagine you’re selling a cybersecurity service that works for both B2B and B2C, but you want to focus only on B2B. Knowing your audience in detail helps you create a brand story that speaks directly to the B2B market.

To define your audience accurately, conduct surveys and interviews to get real feedback. Then, group this data by demographics (personal details), firmographics (company details), and psychographics (interests, pain points) to form personas.

Knowing your audience allows you to shape your brand story to reflect their values, resonate with their interests, and meet their needs. It also helps you choose the right language, voice, and visuals to connect with them effectively.

3. Find your brand’s unique voice and tone.

Your brand’s voice and tone define how it “speaks” to your audience. It adds consistent personality to your brand and is shaped by the type of product or service you offer and who you’re targeting.

For example, a B2C brand voice is often friendly, witty, and approachable, while a B2B brand voice tends to be more formal and authoritative. But this isn’t set in stone—you can experiment to find the tone that resonates best with your audience. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a voice that feels authentic and connects with the people you want to reach.

4. Build a story structure.

Like popular fiction and nonfiction, many compelling brand stories follow a structure similar to the “Hero’s Journey.”

This structure features a protagonist (you) who faces challenges, a status quo causing those challenges, the journey of trying to overcome them, and ultimately, the hero (your brand) that resolves them.

Everyone encounters obstacles—some adapt, while others push back. People love a story of resilience and courage that ends on a positive note, so your brand story should show how your strength and persistence led to a solution (your brand). But don’t stop there—tie this story to your audience’s lives, showing them how the hero (your brand) can help solve their challenges, too.

6. Appeal to emotions.

A strong brand story sparks positive emotions—whether it’s hope, excitement, compassion, empowerment, or resilience. These emotions align with your brand’s core values and create a feeling you want your audience to recall whenever they think of your brand. If you highlight these emotions effectively, they act as an instant source of connection between your brand and your audience.

Here’s how to tap into your brand’s emotions:

• Use descriptive language that brings these feelings to life.
• Emphasize your company’s.
• Share relatable moments that allow your audience to see themselves in your brand’s journey.

Here’s an example of brand story emotions at play. A cybersecurity marketing brand might tell the story of a founder who, frustrated by outdated approaches that limited their creativity, left a stifling corporate job to start their own agency. This story captures the relatability of corporate resistance to innovation while also highlighting emotions of inspiration, self-belief, and the courage to follow one’s dreams.

7. Use Visuals and Multimedia to Reinforce the Story

Text helps paint a picture in your audience’s mind, but visuals bring that picture to life. A cohesive mix of web design, app UX design, images, videos, graphics, and even music can make your brand story more memorable.

These visuals give your brand a consistent look—think colors, fonts, and logos—and create immersive experiences, from customer stories and brand documentaries to real-world product use. Visual storytelling is especially powerful on social media and other digital platforms, where images and videos grab attention instantly.

Examples of compelling brand narratives

Clif Bar

Clif Bar’s brand story focuses on its founder, Gary, who needed a snack for his 175-mile bike ride. Tired of eating bland energy bars, he spent hours in the kitchen creating a better option for himself and his friends. Eventually, he realized this was a problem others faced, too, and the company was born.

Their brand documentary highlights how Clif Bar isn’t just about great-tasting energy bars but also about doing good—whether that’s supporting the planet, helping those in need, or uplifting employees. The story emphasizes the brand’s commitment to both quality and positive impact.

Burt’s Bees

Burt’s Bees is a skincare product that is known for its “By nature. For nature. For all.” mantra. This mantra reflects the founder’s journey of leaving city life to embrace nature, where he discovered how to create cosmetic products using beeswax.

They highlighted this story in their “The Nature of Burt” campaign, where they showcased Burt’s personality and even his playful side. The campaign centered on Burt’s love for nature and the brand’s commitment to sustainability. This story resonates with people who care about preserving the planet.

Dave’s Killer Bread

Dave’s Killer Bread, an American bread company, is famous for its brand story centered around “second chances.” The brand had been around for years but gained popularity when the founder’s son, Dave Dahl, was released from prison after serving 15 years. Initially, marketing experts advised against associating the brand with Dave’s past, but his story resonated with many people who either wanted a second chance or wanted to give one.

Dave’s Killer Bread now actively supports second-chance hiring, offering opportunities to people with criminal backgrounds to rebuild their lives, just as Dave did. This commitment to social impact and reinvention has become a key part of the brand’s identity, helping it stand out in the market.

Conclusion

A brand story should be as captivating as a great fiction story, sparking strong emotions and a sense of connection with your audience while also being action-driven, like a marketing campaign that turns prospects into customers. Finding the right balance can be tough, especially if you haven’t had a life-changing experience like Dave Dahl. However, the outcomes of building a brand narrative that resonates are well worth the effort.