Your brand narrative is the framework you use when communicating with customers and clients to share your brand’s story through PR and marketing—who you are, what problems you solve, what is important to you, and why clients or consumers should trust you to handle their needs. While a brand story is what you’d see on a company’s “About Us” page, brand narrative extends beyond the history of the business. Brand narrative brings a brand story to life by cultivating active dialogue between the business, products and customers (and sometimes even competitors) to develop a culture around your business influenced by its ecosystem of stakeholders.
Periodically, you need to revisit and refresh your brand narrative, carefully considering whether it still communicates the value propositions and mission of your business. If your brand narrative feels misaligned in supporting your brand story or current business goals , it’s time to consider how you can improve your messaging.
Signs Your Brand Narrative Needs a Refresh
There are several indicators that signal you may need to refresh your brand narrative and align it with your organizational goals and target audience.
1. Your current brand narrative and aesthetic don’t resonate with your target audience.
Over time, your target audience may shift or outright change, even if the products and services you offer stay the same. Your messaging may no longer attract or engage your intended audience, especially if you continue to focus on the things that were important to previous customers but that don’t meet the needs of a current market. If you notice that you are struggling to reach the members of your target audience, it may be time to revisit your brand narrative.
2. Your brand messaging does not reflect the current direction of your business.
Businesses generally need to evolve to remain relevant and competitive. You may, for example, begin to offer new services or expand your product offerings. You may want to pivot and redesign your products and services to continue to meet the needs of your target market. However, if you’re sticking with the same brand messaging you’ve historically used, it may no longer fit new directions or the future of your business. In that case, you definitely need to revisit your brand narrative.
3. You haven’t established uya digital identity.
Many businesses haven’t fully transitioned their brand and marketing to digital environments. Sometimes, it may be because your current brand narrative doesn’t translate well into the digital sphere. In other cases, you may find that you do not have the knowledge, tools or resources needed to connect with your audience on digital platforms. There is almost no business on earth that cannot be placed into digital environments or benefit from them. In the same vein, there is almost no target customer or audience who doesn’t spend time online in some capacity. Revisiting your brand narrative and evaluating in what ways it can be adapted to online formats can help you better connect with your target audience.
4. You have inconsistent messaging.
Your brand narrative is designed to provide a constellation of touchpoints that communicate your brand identity and support you in achieving business goals. However, some brands find that they are not offering consistency in their overall brand messaging. That may be because different messaging is used for different departments of the business or different services offered, or it may be because they have not fully established a brand identity. Brands should also pay attention to whether online and offline messaging align and what changes can be made to marry them to more uniformly communicate brand voice and message. .
5. Your company has made immense changes, and you want other people to take notice.
As your company changes, or its identity or purpose in the industry shifts, your brand narrative will likely need to change along with it. If your narrative is attached to an outdated form of your business, it needs review and revisions that will help you speak to a more modern purpose and audience.
Revitalizing Your Brand Narrative
Are you ready to revisit and revitalize your brand narrative? Take these key elements into account as you work to refine your messaging points and brand narrative marketing strategy.
1. Take a look at the products and services you are currently offering.
Pay attention to what customers are actually purchasing when they connect with your business. Do they want a specific service or tool? Do they come to you most often for a certain type of product? Be mindful of how customers actually select that product and what pain points it solves and include messaging around that in your brand narrative.
2. Get to know your target audience again.
When you know your target audience well, you can create content that is more likely to capture their attention and buy-in. Start with a look at who you’re trying to reach and how you can connect with them most effectively. Consider where your target audience spends their time, what they care about and why they may choose to connect with your brand. What tools do you need to reach your target audience? What does your target audience need from your brand, and how can you be sure that you’re providing them with the right resources for decision making or conversion?
3. Tell your story clearly and concisely.
Today’s customers are looking for a brand story that resonates with them. They may be looking for a story about where your brand came from, or they may be more interested in what your brand has to offer. Your brand history, brand values, why customers should choose to connect with you and what they can expect when they reach out or engage with your products or services should all be elements in your brand narrative. Then, situate that narrative within modalities that fit your current market and audience needs.
4. Make it digital.
Today’s brands need digital marketing to effectively reach their target audiences. If your brand has been focusing primarily on offline marketing, you may be missing out on opportunities to expand your business. Make digital marketing and storytelling a key part of your storytelling strategy. Keep your online and offline marketing efforts aligned and your messaging in lockstep to improve your overall success.
5. Design brand guidelines to share with anyone who creates content for your brand.
You need a clear brand guide that lays out what your brand narrative is, how it’s communicated and what customers should experience when they interact with your brand. Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Your brand guide should include your brand narrative, logo, colors, fonts, tone, keywords, slogans and voice. Instruct all marketers (in house and external) to refer to the brand guide when developing material and messaging about the brand.
If your story has grown stale or you find your business missing out on sales because you are unable to connect with your target market, it’s time for a brand narrative refresh. By reviewing your brand story, evaluating your target market, connecting your online and offline marketing efforts, and developing a brand guide that establishes your revitalized brand narrative, you can keep your business growing into the future.
