Every brand has a story. Of course, some are more interesting than others, but yours has one whether you like it or not.

Well-managed brands use their stories well. They use them to articulate and emphasise their values. 

You may have heard about Adolf (Adi) Dassler who started producing his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen when he returned from fighting in WWI. In 1924 his brother, Rudi, joined Adi and they began a very successful business called Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik. However, being brothers, they fought. A lot. And in 1948 their irreconcilable differences drove them apart. That was when Rudi set up Puma and Adi formed Adidas AG.

Is this a true story? I don’t know. What I do know is two very powerful values are expressed through it — heritage and competitiveness. And, as we know that Adidas is the more successful of the two brands, the story works in its favour.

People love stories. 

We use them to make sense of the world — to understand the complexities of human nature. 

They form moving pictures in our minds, which we play with, identify with and share.

That's why a good brand story is so effective — it's your chance engage with people on a meaningful and emotional level — to generate a degree of loyalty that's greater than can be explained by the benefits of your service. 

A strong, engaging and believable story gives people something to believe in beyond the product and logo — and can help them make their minds up when choosing between your services and those of a rival.

What to do with a brand story

• It can drive every inch of your brand, providing its values, and guiding and explaining everything you do.
• It can be a sales tool — your salespeople use to capture people's imaginations. 
• It can fuel your advertising creative.
• It can be used as a highly effective and successful piece of word-of-mouth marketing.
• It can even give your own people something to believe in — something to be proud of.

But really, it should be all of these things.