Top Strategies to Create an Extraordinary Brand Story

A brand stands out when it clearly defines what sets it apart and consistently infuses that story into every aspect of the business. This approach amplifies the impact, adds deeper meaning, and fosters greater loyalty…

Is your marketing truly driving ROI and results? Are your ideal clients showing up, ready to buy? Is your customer retention steady and growing? Are you meeting your revenue goals for the year? If not, it might be time for a brand check-up.

There is a lot of misunderstanding about ‘brand’. Many marketers and leaders mistake brands for visual identity and brand guidelines—the logo, font, colours that are “legal” for your organisation. But your brand is so much more than just the application of your logo mark.

Your brand represents the essence of who you are as an organisation, the promises you make to your customers, and the measure of how well you fulfill them. It is the story that offers clarity on who you serve, how you are different, and what value you bring to your audience. When effectively done, the brand should be woven into every part of your business—from culture and training to sales sheets and digital messages.

So, how do you create an extraordinary brand? First, let’s establish why this is important.

You Get What You Give:

Imagine going to an ice cream shop excited for dessert, only to receive a single scoop of vanilla-flavoured ice cream. It’s okay, but it’s underwhelming. Many brands leave their customers feeling the same way. They offer a “vanilla-flavored” experience and expect delight. To avoid this for your brand, you must know who you are, what makes you special, and how to tell that story.

To be ordinary means no special or distinctive features, commonplace, standard, usual, normal, of no special quality, expected. 

So many companies are exactly that! Would anyone even notice if you swapped out your logo onto one of your competitor’s marketing pieces? By focusing too heavily on “competing with others” instead of what the customer wants, brands become “expected and ordinary.”

Let’s change that.

Also Read: Transforming CX Matrix with Conversational AI: Key Innovations and Impact in 2024

Creating an Extraordinary Brand:

Extraordinary means to be remarkable, very unusual, amazing, unusually great, special. 

Your brand becomes extraordinary when you clarify what makes you different. By weaving that story into everything you do, you can create greater brand impact, meaning, and loyalty.

Here are a few tips to help you create an extraordinary brand:

1. Review Your Organisational Purpose, Vision, and Goals

What makes your purpose/vision compelling and for whom? Why are you in business? What is your intended value or goal for your customers? Who exactly is your target? Where are you heading? You can’t successfully reach your destination if you don’t first understand where you are heading and what your ideal “win” looks like.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

Who are your main competitors in the market or niche? What are they good at? Not so good at? Where are they growing or shrinking? What are their core offers or values? Who are they trying to reach? What are consumers saying about them online? Once you understand who they are and how they are showing up, it will guide you in understanding your brand position better. It may even help in product development or in simplifying your offers so you can differentiate yourself.

3. Evaluate Your Own Company

How do your products/offers/service compare to the competition? What are customers saying about you online, in person, through service channels? What do the sales and retention numbers tell you? Are you keeping the right clients? Are you attracting the right prospects? Who is leaving? Who is staying? What are the top objections or praises? Is the customer journey working well? How does this align with your brand purpose/vision/goals? You can’t compete without staying on top of how you are doing as an organisation. These things may not be directly a “marketing function,” but they are vital to intelligent strategy and execution.

4. Distill Your “Onlys”

Now, compare your lists to that of your competitors and identify your key differentiators. These might be someone you are serving, a different product, location, better service, pricing, etc. Find the things that make you stand out or are “only yours” as an organisation. This can be tough in a crowded marketplace, but maybe the difference is in your mission. Maybe your ice cream will be organic, locally sourced cream with fair-trade vanilla beans, reflecting your commitment to quality and equity. 

5. Evaluate Your Goals and Data

Now take a look at your data. Is it telling you a story that aligns with your goals? You must ask questions if you aim to double all product sales and only chocolate ice cream is selling while your vanilla is losing market share. What has changed? Is the consumer more interested in a different flavor? Did the vanilla have any changes? Is it price? Are you focusing on the wrong audience? Are you capturing them and then losing them? Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your goals and make sure that your products are what the consumer wants and identify how to compete in the category. Your goals will guide the execution of your brand, identification of the target audience, the channels, and the strategies.

6. Align to Customer Experience and Employee Experience

You are ready to update your brand story based on what you learned above. This needs to be done internally and externally. Your new brand story should be woven into internal communications, culture, reward systems, training materials, and every meeting. A consistent brand story will only come from a culture committed to and striving to make this story true for your customers in every aspect of your organisation.

Also Read: European Brands Going the Extra Mile for Customer Happiness

Great CX will only exist where great intention has gone into a strong EX.

To help your organisation stand out and rise above the competition, you must examine its foundations more closely, evaluate its goals and priorities, examine its data, listen to customers, and internalise its brand story and promises.