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.

I’ll make a daring proposition that many people feel uncomfortable with. Yet as an anthropologist in orientation, I can’t help but notice that popular culture is the great unifying force across our nation. Regardless of race, class, or religion, what we share in common as a collective culture are the TV shows that we watch, the celebrities that we revear, and the brands that we consume. Popular culture is our common vocabulary. Suspend your judgement for just a minute or two…

You probably know what a Starbucks coffee tastes like (whether you like it or not), or what flying on Southwest Airlines feels like in comparison to a trip on American. You know Britney Spears, and that she’s gone a little cuckoo lately. You read Harry Potter’s latest book, or bought it for someone you love.

Anyone could assemble a voluminous list of brands, media experiences, and pop culture icons that are almost universally recognized across the U.S., if not across much of the world. Put aside the commerical implications of this and any concerns that come to mind. Popular culture is our common language. Learn to use it to your advantage.

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?