Through stories, brands can build an intimate relationship with markets. Ritz-Carlton is able to captivate their markets with their sunglasses story. Apple reached their markets through garage story. It is not merely because of their easily understood stories, but these two brands understand that stories can be a powerful medium to convey (their) brand core values.
A powerful and robust story that defines a brand is called Brand Signature Stories, as Marketing Professor of California University, David Aaker, says. Brand Signature Story is a strategically-composed narrative with various points of view by brands to enhance the relationship and interaction with the target market.
Along with the importance of stories for brands, there are methods that have appeared as the best way to compose stories that captivate and touch the target market. Speaking about that, Donald Miller, a marketing expert who actively researches and explores strategies to approach the market, offers a story-building framework called Storybrand 7-Part or SB7.
The SB7 framework includes 7 elements. Brand owners should understand these elements to build an intriguing story.
1. Character/Hero
The main character or hero in StoryBrand is the market including their specified needs, missions or goals.
2. Problem
To achieve their missions or goals, the market works on their problems or challenges.
3. Guide
Brands offer guidance to help the market find their solutions.
4. Plan
Brands offer core values as the market guidance in finding their solutions.
5. Call to action
The market utilizes the brand core values to help them find the solutions.
6. Success
The market is able to find solutions and overcome the problems or challenges so that it succeeds in achieving their goals or missions and fulfilling their needs.
7. Avoid failure
Because the market has succeeded in fulfilling their desires and achieving their missions and goals, the market can avoid failures that could have occurred.
Many global brands use the SB7 framework to compose a powerful story, including two world-renowned brands, IKEA and Google. Here is the journey of those two global brands in composing their own stories.
IKEA’s Brand Story
IKEA has the main slogan called 'Creating a better everyday life for the many people'. With the slogan, IKEA is trying to provide affordable, diverse, and fashionable furniture for their market.
Google’s Brand Story
Google released an advert entitled 'Parisian Love' in 2009. The advert tells the story about a man who has a plan to study in France.
The SB7 framework helps brand owners in identifying the basic needs of their customers in the simplest ways. Therefore, the composed stories are not only able to make brands closer to the market but also more related or connected to their consumer.
Storytelling is a very important part of brands. Through a story, there are limitless methods to captivate and connect to the market. Brand owners can use various points of view that can be used to compose a brand signature story, and it’s called Brand PoVs.
basicludo together with brand owners build stories to get closer to their market. Using various PoVs, brand owners are now able to develop and continue the stories so that the brand becomes their market's favorites.