Storytelling in Branding: Lessons from Chris Do

Hey there, brand builders! If you aren’t familiar with Chris Do of The Futur, let us introduce you.  Chris Do is an Emmy Award-winning designer and founder of the creative agency Blind. He is also the co-founder of The Futur, an educational platform for creative professionals, and is a graduate of the ArtCenter College of Design. Above all, Chris is a storyteller.

We found this video that got us thinking about the power of storytelling in branding. It’s packed with insights that align perfectly with what we do here at Cider House, so we thought we’d break it down for you. Even if you don’t watch the video, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with all the key points and how to apply them to your brand.

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Why Our Brains Love Stories

Chris kicks off with a fascinating point: our brains are wired for stories, not just facts. Think about it – you’re more likely to remember a compelling anecdote than a list of statistics, right? That’s because stories engage our emotions, and emotions are key to memory formation.

This is huge for branding. When we help our clients craft their brand stories, we’re not just creating marketing materials; we’re creating memories that stick with their audience. But how exactly does this work?

1. Emotional Connection: Stories evoke emotions, and emotions make memories stronger and more vivid.
2. Pattern Recognition: Our brains are constantly looking for patterns. Stories provide a structure that’s easy for our brains to latch onto and remember.
3. Empathy: Stories allow us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, creating a deeper connection with the content.

So, when you’re thinking about your brand messaging, ask yourself: Are you just listing features, or are you telling a story that your audience can connect with emotionally?

Reconnecting with Your Inner Storyteller

As we grow up, many of us lose touch with our natural storytelling abilities. We start focusing on facts and figures, forgetting the power of a good narrative. But here’s the thing: that storyteller is still in there. It’s just waiting for a chance to shine.

Reconnecting with this skill is crucial for effective marketing. It’s not about making things up; it’s about finding the compelling narratives that already exist in your business and bringing them to life. Here are some ways to tap into your storytelling abilities:

1. Practice Daily: Start small by sharing anecdotes with friends or on social media.
2. Read Widely: Expose yourself to different types of stories and storytelling styles.
3. Listen to Your Customers: Their experiences with your brand can be a goldmine of stories.
4. Look for Narratives in Your Data: Even numbers can tell a story if you frame them right.

Remember, every brand has a story. Your job is to uncover it and tell it in a way that resonates with your audience.

The Hero’s Journey in Branding

Chris introduces the concept of the Hero’s Journey, a storytelling framework used in countless movies and books. But here’s where it gets interesting for us marketers: your customer is the hero, not your brand.

At Cider House, we love this approach. We encourage our clients to think of their brand as the wise mentor, guiding the customer (the hero) through their journey. This shift in perspective can revolutionize how you communicate with your audience.

Here’s how you can apply the Hero’s Journey to your brand storytelling:

1. Ordinary World: Describe your customer’s current situation or problem.
2. Call to Adventure: Introduce your product or service as a potential solution.
3. Refusal of the Call: Address common objections or hesitations.
4. Meeting the Mentor: Position your brand as the guide with expertise and solutions.
5. Crossing the Threshold: Show how customers take the first step with your brand.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: Highlight challenges and how your brand helps overcome them.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave: Describe the moment of truth or major challenge.
8. Ordeal: Show how your product or service helps in the crucial moment.
9. Reward: Demonstrate the benefits and positive outcomes.
10. The Road Back: Explain how the customer’s life improves.
11. Resurrection: Highlight the transformation and lasting impact.
12. Return with Elixir: Show how the customer can now help others with their newfound knowledge or improved state.

Just Do It!

A great example of a brand using the hero’s journey in its marketing is Nike. Their “Just Do It” campaign often frames the customer as the hero facing challenges and obstacles, with Nike providing the tools (shoes, gear) as the mentor that helps them succeed. One well-known ad features athletes overcoming personal struggles, pushing through pain and adversity to achieve greatness. Nike’s storytelling highlights perseverance, aligning the brand with empowerment and triumph, resonating with the audience’s desire to overcome obstacles and be their best self.

This approach places the customer at the center of the story, making them the hero on their journey to success.

By framing your brand story this way, you make your customer the star of the show, with your brand playing the crucial supporting role.

The Three Key Elements of a Powerful Story

Chris breaks down storytelling into three essential elements:

1. Character: Your ideal customer
2. Want: What they desire (beyond just your product)
3. Obstacle: What’s standing in their way

By clearly defining these elements, you can craft a brand story that truly resonates with your audience. It’s about understanding your customers’ challenges and positioning your brand as the solution.

Remember Sarah’s coffee shop story? Let’s dive into how Sarah can be an example of using storytelling to address her customers’ needs, aligned with the “Three Key Elements of a Powerful Story”:

Character:

Sarah is the owner of a neighborhood coffee shop struggling to survive in a crowded market. Her passion for creativity drives her to reimagine her business beyond serving coffee. Her ideal customers are creatives, artists, and locals looking for more than just a caffeine fix—people seeking a sense of community, connection, and inspiration.

Want:

Sarah’s customers don’t just want a coffee—they want a space where they can express themselves, experience culture, and engage with their local community. By transforming her coffee shop into a platform for local artists and musicians, Sarah taps into their deeper desire for belonging, creativity, and meaningful interactions.

Obstacle:

The challenge Sarah faces is standing out in a competitive city full of coffee shops. Her customers are often overwhelmed by the abundance of generic options, where nothing feels unique or engaging. Sarah’s creativity and commitment to creating an authentic experience become the solution, turning her coffee shop into a vibrant community hub.

Through storytelling, Sarah’s brand narrative becomes about more than just coffee—it’s about fostering creativity and building connections. This transformation highlights the importance of understanding your audience’s deeper needs and how creative storytelling can drive both emotional engagement and business success.

Turning Products into Brands

One of the most powerful points Chris makes is this: “A product without a story is a commodity. A product with a story is a brand.” This isn’t just clever wordplay; it has real financial implications.

When customers choose your product over cheaper alternatives, that premium is your brand equity. A compelling brand story can significantly boost that equity, turning your offering from a mere commodity into a valued brand.

Images are sourced from the brand’s Facebook pages. Visit them: Waiakea, LIFE WTR, Fiji, Just Water

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Think about bottled water. At its core, it’s a commodity – just water in a bottle. But brands like LIFE WTR or Fiji have created stories around purity, origin, and lifestyle that allow them to charge premium prices. That’s the power of brand storytelling in action.

 

Putting It All Together

So, how do you apply these storytelling principles to your brand? Start by really getting to know your ideal customer. What are their hopes, dreams, and fears? What challenges are they facing? What transformation are they seeking?

Once you have this understanding, you can craft marketing messages that speak directly to their experiences and aspirations. You’re not just selling a product or service – you’re offering a path to transformation.

Here’s a step-by-step process to get you started:

1. Define Your Character: Create a detailed persona of your ideal customer.
2. Identify the Want: What deeper desire does your product or service fulfill?
3. Pinpoint the Obstacle: What’s standing in your customer’s way?
4. Position Your Brand: How does your brand help overcome the obstacle?
5. Craft Your Narrative: Use the Hero’s Journey framework to structure your story.
6. Integrate Across Touchpoints: Ensure your story is consistent across all brand communications.
7. Measure and Refine: Pay attention to how your audience responds and adjust as needed.

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At Cider House, we specialize in helping businesses like yours uncover and tell their unique stories. Whether it’s through a captivating website, engaging social media content, or strategic brand messaging, we’re here to help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.

Remember, in the world of branding, a good story isn’t just nice to have – it’s essential. And who knows? Your brand’s story might be the next one to captivate audiences and transform your business.

Ready to start your storytelling journey? Let’s chat about how we can bring your brand’s story to life. After all, in a world full of noise, a well-told story might just be your secret weapon for standing out and making a lasting impression.