A quality public relations strategy is more than pitching to the media for placements – it’s about understanding the narrative that your brand is building, and the solutions that you are bringing to the world. Storytelling is a crucial skill for the best national PR agencies, because it allows you to position your client as a part of something bigger than one company. Without a good story, your brand lacks purpose, positioning, and importance in the marketplace and you will get lost in the noise. The best PR agencies will help you develop effective storytelling that encourages audiences to listen, care and engage with your brand. Here are some key components that your brand story should include, and some tips to make them compelling to your consumer and media.
Where You Started, and Where You Are Now
First and foremost, your brand narrative should consist of a general timeline of the start of your company to today. Not only does this establish a general ‘age’ or credibility of your company, but it allows you to showcase the growth and milestones you have achieved in a compelling way.
Now if your company’s start wasn’t glamorous or wildly funded and supported by investors, you may be worried to share the gritty parts of the story. However, stories of overcoming challenges and tough starts can actually work in your favor. Think of Apple’s origin story: from two college dropouts building a computer in their garage, to one of the most iconic and renowned tech companies in the world. Consumers and the U.S. media love a good underdog success story, so showing off your roots can be a great way to build trust and earn respect for your hard work.
Leadership’s Personal Stories & Brand Attachment
In order to build an authentic relationship with your consumer, it’s essential to put a face to the brand. Genuine personal stories of your brand’s founder and / or CEO can make a huge impact on your brand reputation. Whether it be a story of a credible education, impressive experience in other companies, or an inspiring bootstrapping story of good ol fashioned hard work, consumers and media love to know the actual people behind our favorite brands.
When crafting your brand narrative, think of your leadership and their ‘whys’– why are they at this company? Why did they invent this product? Why did they get into this industry? Answering these questions in your brand narrative establishes a clear purpose and vision for your leadership, and earns your consumer’s trust that your company is in the right hands.
Your Brand’s Central Mission
Ultimately, every company needs a purpose and mission that drives their business forward. Your brand narrative should reinforce the basis of your mission, and answer the question, ‘why does this company exist’. Think about what you’re trying to accomplish as a company. The best PR agencies will ask you: what problem does this business solve? What gap in the market does this business fill? Who will benefit from this business? By really establishing a clear impact and purpose, your brand narrative will hold more importance, therefore making it more impactful, important, and newsworthy.
Unique or Unusual Points In Your Company’s History
Once you have the key timelines, leadership values and mission established in your brand narrative, you can sprinkle in the unique stories or facts that make your company stand out from the rest. Do you have a really young CEO? Did your founder used to be a renowned olympic athlete? Did your company appear on a major TV show, or was your CEO name dropped in a movie? Any fun, unexpected facts can do wonders to make your story more interesting, or add in layers of credibility when done carefully. Think of things that also may appeal or resonate with your target demographic, and fuse it with your brand’s key messaging. Leveraging the things that make you or your company unique will make you more interesting to the media, and make your consumers pay attention.
Ultimately, storytelling in your brand’s public relations efforts is key to captivate your audiences and make a splash in the news. By partnering with the best PR agencies and copywriters, you can refine your brand story and improve overall brand perception, media interest, and consumer trust. To learn more about storytelling and public relations, click here.
