What is a brand narrative?
Now I have your attention, let’s discuss what a brand narrative actually is and why you need one (other than to preserve your social standing).
Put simply, your brand narrative is your why. It’s a strategic story that tells the tale of your origin, your values, your purpose, why you exist and why it matters (beyond making money).
Done well, it helps your customers understand and trust you, giving you a unique edge that helps you stand out from the crowd.
Done poorly, it confuses or loses people, leaving them wondering who you’re for and choosing a competitor.
How do you create a brand narrative?
You know that friend who has the best stories? Have you noticed they all follow the same three-act structure?
The setup
Stella convinced me to go for one drink…hat problem are you solving? Who is most likely to benefit from your product, service or solution? What is your unique selling point?
The conflict
Then, this group of lads from Berlin walked into the bar. One minute we’re chatting, the next someone’s handing out jägerbombs. Suddenly, I’m at the all-night karaoke bar belting out, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” with people I’ve only known for a few hours.
The resolution
It was the best night of my life. I think I met the love of my life. And I am never drinking again. *Takes a sip of their pint.
Okay, so now you know how your friend is doing it, but how do businesses do it? Let’s look at a favourite of mine, Kerrygold.
The Kerrygold way
Kerrygold’s brand narrative is built on the idea that better butter starts with where it comes from. It centres Ireland’s green fields and small family farms, emphasising milk from grass-fed cows, natural production, and an unforgettable landscape — the setup.
In a category where most products distance themselves from their animal origins, Kerrygold does the opposite. It brings you closer to the source, highlighting where the milk comes from and how it’s produced — the conflict.
Kerrygold isn’t trying to disrupt a category or reinvent butter. Instead, they champion the traditional way, positioning themselves as natural, traceable, and richer in taste because of it — the resolution.
Getting your brand narrative to stick in your customer’s mind
If you want to craft a brand narrative that your customers remember, human psychology is your best friend.
1. Connect with emotion
Mother Teresa said it best when she said,
“If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."
To get people to pay attention, we have to make them feel something. Your brand narrative needs to speak directly to your customer’s pain and the problem you’re solving for them.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to speak to everyone, you’ll end up connecting with no one. Picture your ideal customer, what they do, what they feel, and what they want to achieve, then tell them how you’ll solve their problems.
2. Speak to your customer’s self-image
People don’t make decisions based on who they are, they make decisions based on who they believe themselves to be. That’s why so many unused gym memberships go uncancelled.
Who does your ideal customer look up to, who do they want to emulate and how do you help them be that version of themselves?
3. Use concrete language your customers can cling to
If I was telling you about my product and I said, “It’s a high-performance lipid solution sourced from grass-optimised bovine inputs,” I expect you’d have no idea what I’m talking about and you wouldn’t care.
But if I changed the phrasing to, “Kerrygold is butter made with milk from Irish cows that eat fresh grass instead of grain,” that brings to mind green fields, cows grazing on grass, and rich, creamy butter. And that’s a product I can picture myself enjoying more than a high-performance lipid solution.
A brand narrative is your best friend
Stories stick in our minds. They can help us convey complex ideas in a more understandable and relatable way. That’s exactly how you want your customers to feel about your business, it’s something they understand, can relate to, and ultimately choose. So, the moral of the story is, invest in a brand narrative early.
