Building a StoryBrand

Guides might include the authors of poems we’ve read, leaders who moved the world into new territory, therapists who helped us make sense of our problems, and yes, even brands that offered us encouragement and tools to help us overcome a challenge.

No two lives are the same, and yet we share common chapters. Every human being is on a transformational journey.

It’s easy to recognize these chapters by their events, or what writer and story scholar James Scott Bell calls “doorways of no return.”1 This might have been our parents’ divorce, our first crush, a rejection from somebody we loved, or having absolutely nailed the moonwalk when the crowd gathered around us at the junior high dance.

Shakespeare was right—a person’s life is made up of many acts. As a book writer, though, I prefer to see these acts as chapters. If you look back on your life, you’ll likely see them too.

Is there a single villain your brand stands against? And what external problem is that villain causing? How is that external problem making your customers feel? And why is it unjust for people to have to suffer at the hands of this villain?

TESLA MOTOR CARS:

Villain: Gas guzzling, inferior technology

External: I need a car.

Internal: I want to be an early adopter of new technology.

Philosophical: My choice of car ought to help save the environment.

NESPRESSO HOME COFFEE MACHINES:

Villain: Coffee machines that make bad coffee

External: I want better-tasting coffee at home.

Internal: I want my home coffee machine to make me feel sophisticated.

Philosophical: I shouldn’t have to be a barista to make a gourmet coffee at home.

EDWARD JONES FINANCIAL PLANNING:

Villain: Financial firms that don’t listen to their customers

External: I need investment help.

Internal: I’m confused about how to do this (especially with all the tech-driven resources out there).

Philosophical: If I’m going to invest my money, I deserve an advisor who will thoughtfully explain things in person.

Perfect Brand Promise

If we really want to satisfy our customers, we can offer much more than products or services; we can offer to resolve an external, internal, and philosophical problem whenever they engage our business.

Storytellers use this formula to endear audiences all the time. When Luke shoots the photon torpedo through the little hole in the Death Star, he actually resolves the external problem of destroying the Death Star, the internal problem that had him wondering whether he had what it took to be a Jedi, and the philosophical problem of good versus evil, all with the press of a button.

When these three levels of problems are resolved in one shot, the audience experiences a sense of pleasure and relief, causing them to love the story. This scene is often called the “climactic” or “obligatory” scene, and it is arguably the most important scene in the movie because every other scene builds toward it in some way.

The resolution of the hero’s external, internal, and philosophical problem is the reason we cried when Woody and Buzz were reunited with Andy in Toy Story, and it’s why we felt so deeply when Private Ryan was rescued by Captain John Miller.

Before music went digital, Tower Records promoted their chain of record stores using the tagline “No music, no life.” Not only did the tagline help them sell more than a billion dollars in records each year, but they sold thousands of bumper stickers and T-shirts featuring the tagline to fans who wanted to associate with the philosophical belief that music mattered.

People want to be involved in a story that is larger than themselves. Brands that give customers a voice in a larger narrative add value to their products by giving their customers a deeper sense of meaning.

After creating their BrandScript, a global consulting firm we worked with began to talk about how everybody deserved to work for a great manager. A pet-store owner who came to us hung a sign in her window that said, “Pets deserve to eat healthy food too.” A fun-loving travel agent came to us and adopted the seasonal line “Because this summer should be remembered forever.”

PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS

The philosophical problem in a story is about something even larger than the story itself. It’s about the question why. Why does this story matter in the overall epic of humanity?

Why is it important that Tommy Boy save his dad’s company? I’ll tell you why, because the people trying to take Tommy Boy down are lying thieves. This is a comedic story about honesty, family, integrity, and hard work versus deception, greed, and trickery.

Why is it important that Hamlet avenge his father’s death? Because his uncle is getting away with murder.

Why is it important that Bridget Jones find love? Because the beauty and worth of every person deserves to be recognized and cherished by another.

A philosophical problem can best be talked about using terms like ought and shouldn’t. “Bad people shouldn’t be allowed to win” or “People ought to be treated fairly.”

In the movie The King’s Speech, the external problem is King George’s stutter. This external problem manifests the internal frustration and self-doubt the king struggles with. He simply doesn’t believe he has what it takes to lead his country. Philosophically, though, the stakes are much greater. Because the king must unify his people against the Nazis, the story takes on the philosophical problem of good versus evil.

In Jerry Maguire, the philosophical question revolves around whether people are worth more than the money they can bring in. Romeo and Juliet asks whether romantic love is more important than family squabbles and tribal unrest.

Likewise, Starbucks exploded by not just offering customers a cup of coffee but by giving them a comfortable, sophisticated environment in which to relax. Customers felt good about themselves when they walked into a Starbucks. Starbucks was delivering more value than just coffee; they were delivering a sense of sophistication and enthusiasm about life. They were also offering a place for people to meet in which they could experience affiliation and belonging. Starbucks changed American culture from hanging out in diners and bars to hanging out in a local, Italian-style coffee shop.