Story Branding and Why It’s Important
In the age of digital media, having a compelling brand is vital to achieving any amount of success. But branding is not limited to a perfect color story and digital assets; it goes beyond that.
What Is Story Branding?
Story branding is defined as developing a brand through intense storytelling. The purpose of story branding is to help you resonate with your customer avatar and build rapport, ultimately leading to more sales and improved retention rates.
Traditional advertising is about showing and telling to convince consumers to choose your business over competitors. Story branding differs because it courts a customer in the hopes of developing a relationship with your business. This relationship is based on what makes your target resonate with your brand.
Ultimately, where story branding differs from regular branding is that every aspect of your business persona (brand) becomes intrinsic to your story.
Why Is A Brand Story Important?
More than ever, consumers want to connect with businesses before purchasing a product or using a service. Consumers want the businesses they support to share similar ideals and values as they do, making the businesses they interact with a part of their identity. Businesses that don’t have a clearly defined brand story become second-best to those that do.
SoulCycle: A Case Study In Impeccable Story Branding
If there’s one business that requires recognition for its effortless use of storytelling, it’s SoulCycle. At its core, SoulCycle is a fitness company that offers indoor cycling classes. But, to any one of their millions of loyal users, it’s more than that. Why? Because SoulCycle has perfected the three elements crucial to powerful story branding: web design and storytelling.
Web Design and Cohesive Branding
Web design is still important because it is a fundamental part of the customer journey. In SoulCycle’s case, its website unites its message as a business for the young, vibrant, and ambitious that permeates their branding. The use of graphics, color, and structure clarifies what they care about and helps customers start their customer journey.
Persuasive Storytelling
A core component of SoulCycle’s brand is its story. Their story conveys that fitness is accessible and fun; that it’s about community and wellbeing.
SoulCycle integrates their business message in everything they do. Their philanthropic efforts and inclusive ideals permeate their social presence, their ads, and their content. This obvious display of their message makes it easy for even casual users to grasp SoulCycle’s message.
What SoulCycle’s approach to story branding reveals is that it’s possible to grow a business with storytelling as a core part of your strategy.
We understand that and have helped other businesses develop their brand story to attain equitable results. Our skill sets enable us to develop a brand story that makes your business more desirable to consumers. Contact us to learn more.