Noah Brier deserves major street cred for his latest project Brand Tags. This cool little website collects individual word associations related to global brands. Anyone can co to the website, and input one word or a phrase that captures your personal brand impressions of Apple, Google, Pepsi, Red Cross, and dozens more. Its a fascinating branding exercise, reminiscent of a Brand-driven Rorschach Test. Just imagine what we might learn as the database of tags grows…currently 1.1 million impressions and counting. Results are even displayed in cloud view!

Now, if you’re in the brand business (or even just a student of the topic ), I hope you know of Kevin Roberts’ work — Lovemarks, and his even better sequel, the Lovemarks Effect. But have you spent any time on the complimentary web site called lovemarks.com? Launched several years ago, the lovemarks website invites anyone to nominate a brand as a lovemark - but it gets interesting: you are asked to tell a story explaining why this brand plays such a cherished or important role in your life. The thousands of anecdotes shared to date are quite personal and profound, and speak volumes about the role of brands in our modern lives.

Both websites serve as wonderful examples and learning platforms for Brand Storytelling and its psycho-emotional depths. 

We’re gearing up for a big week in Hawaii - co-producing a conference with HANO (Hawaii Association of Nonprofit Organizations).

HANO recently interviewed us as part of the conference promotions. The conference theme is “Telling the Nonprofit Story” and we are excited to deliver a conference keynote and several breakout sessions.

Below are short excerpts with links to the full interview: 

“Whether it has been lobbying US senators to protect California’s Mojave Desert, bridging the digital divide in New York, building an entrepreneurial class in Morocco, or giving a collective context to the cultural genocide in Tibet, each organization must find its story of truth – as well as allow supporters to feel located within the collective story. Now, I have the privilege of helping other organizations and companies to harness their best story to reveal their hidden potential and achieve their long-term success.” [read the full interview with Stephanie]

“Storytelling is an essential tool to activate and accelerate your efforts, whether they are related to fundraising, advocacy, or internal change. In the end, stories will allow you to succeed faster and in a manner that has people invested in a collective future…Storytelling is a leadership philosophy. Look at any organizational challenge through the lens of narrative; I guarantee you will discover new insights and solutions.” - [read the full interview with Michael]

Every organization has a brand story, whether you’ve spent time thinking about it or not. The funny thing about brand stories is that they have a life of their own. So even if you’ve spent a billion bucks architecting the slickest, most endearing brand story - the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

At the end of the day, your brand story is the sum of stories that others (i.e. read customers, investors, stakeholders, etc…) tell about YOU. So Delta can go on and on about “friendly skies”, but upset travelers have a far different story to tell. 

Therein lies the rub of brand stories as a concept - a self-regulating mechanism that redistributes power to the people. In the end, even a masterful and well-orchestrated spin campaign can’t compete against the real world brand experiences and (not so always accurate) misperceptions that people may have about your brand/organization.

So are you ready to go something about your brand story? Great! Then, go and listen to the stories that people (i.e. the people that you should care about) are telling about you. Starting from here, you’ll have a much better sense of how the world sees you, and from there can make some choices about how you would like to be better seen and understood.

Every brand tells a story. Some just tell a better story than others.

For example, when you sit in a Volvo, you should feel…safe. Volvo supports this story with a long history of safety innovation from anti-lock brakes to crumble-free zones. “Boxy but safe” - remember the 90’s movie Crazy People with Dudley Moore playing an ad guy gone mad? Volvo is not sexy, or cheap - it’s for families that care about safety. Every brand experience is designed to reinforce this larger brand story. Even the front radiator grill of a Volvo car conveys a seat-belt strap and sense of security.

The other dimension at play here is emotion. I like to define a brand as the emotional connection between a customer and a product. For Volvo - its safety. Harley - its freedom. And, Apple - its creative expression. There’s an intimate relationship that people have with the brands they value in their life. Brand are meant to reduce the complexities of life’s decisions into a choice you can trust. Brands also take you on a journey into the realm of the unordinary.  It’s not coffee, it’s a Starbucks.

Which brands have meaning or purpose in your life? For me, its brands like Amazon.com, Tivo, and American Express. Each of these brands makes me feel special, that they care about me - and make my life easier or more enjoyable. I would be sad to wake up one day, and find that any one of these brands had disappeared. There are other brands that make me feel proud or that I admire - The Daily Show’s couragious conviction; Amnesty International’s unglamorous fight for human rights; the quality and unique formulations of health supplements by Garden of Life.

As Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi points out: while many brands garner our respect, the most distinctive brands garner our love and devotion. What he calls “Lovemarks” is the future beyond brands. How are you generating a sense of love and devotion with your brand?