Who is the hero of your brand story?
When it comes to building an irresistible brand, this one factor can make or break the effort. Even if you think you have this nailed, it's worth revisiting the hero of your brand story.
I have put together a strategic framework that I use to help companies. It's called the Thrust Story Framework. In that framework, the very first thing we must establish is who is the hero of the brand story.
The simple answer is that the hero is that person you hope to serve. You'll notice I didn't say 'target', 'capture', or 'convert'. I said 'serve'. This is an important distinction. There is a big difference between an organization that is out to convert you versus one that hopes to serve you. See the difference?
It's crucial to get your focus and your language right at the beginning. Because if you are focused on those you hope to serve, you are going to tell a more engaging, meaningful, and even irresistible story.
Are we talking to our hero?
Establishing our true hero is the first step. Now we have to keep each other honest.
I have seen organizations do a great job identifying their hero. And then, as they get caught in the everyday grind, you see the story start to slip. And pretty soon, the organization is back to talking about themselves. Who they are. What they do. Why they think they're special.
That hero that they identified is left to sift through all this self-serving language to find a reason to care. And they very rarely do.
This is why it is important to have a clear definition of the hero of our brand story. And then use that definition to continuously challenge each other. To ask, "Are we talking to our hero?"
That one question can keep us oriented on what's most important. And keep us telling a story that has the opportunity to be something special.