Why you can’t brand like a beer company
You’re a small service-based business or independent professional. You can’t brand like the big brands — the cola drinks, sportswear, and beer.
Beer companies are selling chemicals in water. They have to create a personality. So you see. commercials about cute puppies and horses, parties, and reunions. They create warm feelings that carry over when you see the brand in the store.
You, on the other hand, have a personality and a style. Your marketing will be governed by your story archetype — the foundation for your brand.
Your brand starts with your story.
Richard Branson said entrepreneurs in the 21st century have to be storytellers.
Cathy Goodwin says, “But they have to tell the right stories.”
Most storytelling courses talk about the arc of the story They want you to share a hero’s journey.
Even worse, they want you to bare your soul and be vulnerable. They want you to explain “how you got here.”
Forget about being vulnerable. Think about being strategic.
The Story Archetype framework gives your marketing a strong foundation. Once you know your archetype, your marketing feels like water flowing downhill. Simpler. More realistic. More you.
What’s your story archetype? Figure it out here.
Your mess is NOT your message.
That idea comes from clinical psychology where you understand yourself better by facing exactly what’s wrong with your life.
Your message is about what you do for your clients and why you do it better than anyone else. I created a podcast episode to explain.
The truth is that most branding is based on looking up to the big guys — companies that create larger-than-life images and tell stories that work like mini-movies. People who run big businesses with masses of customers and budgets to match.
That’s very different from small businesses and solopreneurs who sell themselves. They need crediility and consistency. They need storytelling to accomplish specific marketing purposes. They want to motivate prospective clients to take action, not build castles in the air. They need copywriting for websites, sales pages, landing pages, and more.
Strategic storytelling starts here.
We don’t need fairy tales, campfire stories or bedtime stories. We need practical storytelling that does a lot more than entertain or captivate our audience.
We need stories to implement our strategies. And that’s Strategic Storytelling.
If you resonate with this approach, we can explore ways of working together to accomplish your marketing goals.
If you book speakers, and you want someone who can engage your audience while providing solid information and inspiration, you’re in the right place. Learn more here.
If you’re a. solopreneur or small business owner seeking the piece that’s missing from your marketing, you’re in the right place. i can help with strategy, messaging, branding and copywriting. Get started here.
Questions? Start the conversation here.
PERSONAL
Spent 20+ years as a marketing professor and researcher in university business schools. Lived all over North America, including Alaska and Canada. Working out, classical and classical C&W music, WNBA (Go Storm!), stand-up comedy (performer), and murder mysteries (reader). Currently live in Philadelphia, PA, with two high-maintenance cats who refuse to share their stories.