CHAPTER 5

Your Brand DNA

God made humans because God loves stories.

—Chassidic proverb

Your story must be in line with your Brand DNA or it will be working against you. So really, what is Brand DNA?

The letters “DNA” are an acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid, which contains the core biological information that makes one species different from another. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA structure and, essentially, it is that which makes you you, and similar to, but still different from, other people.

When designing a project, the gifted architect Mark Knauer explores Brand DNA “Differences, Nature, and Attributes.” In application to creating a brand narrative, Brand DNA forms the core of what you want your message to be. It is the essence of what makes your brand different from all others. It should be expressed in as few words or phrases as possible, and they must be words or phrases that epitomize your business’s soul. These key words and phrases then drive all stories told about the business throughout the marketing process.

Just as biological DNA determines what characteristics a person has in their genetic makeup, Brand DNA determines what attributes are “baked into” a business. Key words and phrases are chosen carefully to represent the very essence of the genetic code of the business. Every decision about business brand issues will be influenced by referring to and adhering to this Brand DNA.

By properly utilizing Brand DNA as a tool, concepts will evolve and become fortified, resulting in a richer, more clarified version of the business.

Once you determine the core essence of what is and what isn’t in your Brand DNA, you need to then consider your brand and product’s role in the life of consumers and the appropriate direction for your narratives. There are way too many examples of companies that have not understood this and told the wrong story, which ended up hurting their brand. The most prominent example that comes to mind is a famous sneaker retailer that spent millions on a Super Bowl TV commercial that featured one of their Caucasian employees chasing a barefoot African runner. Once the barefoot runner was captured, the shoe salesperson gave him a brand new pair of branded sneakers and supposedly helped him.

The problem was that instead of gaining sales, the commercial, which was seen by millions and millions of people, did terrible harm to the brand. It was considered to be blatantly offensive by people of color. Many public watchdog groups also labeled it as imperialistic and offensive. The white salesperson capturing the barefoot black man did not play well with any of the targeted audiences. The story itself was not inherently poorly constructed, per se. It was the way the DNA of the story, the theme, associations, and meaning of it, were perceived by an audience that was harmful.

Your story has power. That power can essentially be used for good or evil. You need to consider how your story will affect your brand and how the wrong story can do more damage than good. So be careful. Take the time to truly determine your Brand DNA. Then take even more time to make sure that your brand narratives are all in line with that DNA, thus ensuring all of your stories help further your best identity.

Another issue that arose when constructing brand narratives with companies was that many of them tended to make the brand or the star product the hero of the brand narrative. This comes through in print ads, video, or Internet content where stories are shared that show the product saving the day. Hurray for my special soap or sweet soda that is so spectacular it changes the lives of everyone who uses or consumes it.”

In other words, let’s feature stories of how our product is so spectacular. This is tempting, but can also be dangerous. Your brand or product can be life altering, but you need to downplay it, or there is a very real chance that your brand narrative will push away consumers instead of pulling them in.

This was clearly illustrated to me when I was working in the haircare realm. The scripts coming my way kept showing miraculous transformations occurring as the result of women using a new bottle of shampoo. It was just too unbelievable and, as a result, I feared it would do more harm than good to the brand. The traditional before-and-after brand spot that I kept seeing over and over again felt problematic. In other words, I feared that the standard spot of a woman with bad hair who then uses the product and poof, instantly gains fantastic hair just lacks credibility today.

A truth became apparent to me. The brand in modern brand narratives couldn’t be the hero. You can’t just use a product and, overnight, be transformed by it and still be plausible. Instead, the brand/product must work as a helpful ally, not a miraculous hero.

What your product must do is work as a helpful ally that improves the life of the individual who needs it. So, let’s take our shampoo again. Using a great new haircare product doesn’t miraculously transform you into a different human being; instead, it allows you to feel better about yourself, and as a result, to achieve what you might not have been able to achieve without good hair. Your hair looks and smells good. Your shampoo as a helpful ally has allowed you to feel better about yourself and now you are more confident and, hence, better equipped to take on the difficulties of the day. You do not have superpowers, you are not Wonder Woman, but you are a bit more confident and capable as a result of your new helpful ally that has given you a special little boost.

The brand as mentor

Here is an interview with Joel Klettke, the business casual copywriter, who gives us his take on business narratives, the brand as mentor, not hero, and how good copy can use story to further the goals of the Brand DNA:

RK: How do you see the rise of storytelling in the digital age today?

JK: Well, you could have predicted the progression from a mile away. The online marketing world has been slowly plodding its way along a natural time line, from the early days spent invested in loopholes and “whatever works” (read: cheap, scalable spam), to starting to think about audiences (contextual keyword targeting), to placing intense importance on content (create things people want to consume, instead of vying for their click). And now, here we are, the era of “brand storytelling.” It’s an ancient concept, but a relatively new buzzword—at least in a digital marketing context.

RK: What do you see as the basic argument for brand storytelling today?

JK: If you poke around the Web, the basic argument in favor of brand storytelling goes a little bit like this (some liberties taken): “Storytelling is the most powerful force in our communication. From the moment we were hairy, hideous cavemen, we’ve used stories to pass on information, share values, evoke emotions, and entertain one another around the campfire cooking woolly mammoth (before the advent of the vegan diet, apparently). Stories are the emotional glue that connects you with your adoring audience. They help frame your brand in a memorable and favorable light, aligning you with the shared values of your customer.”

RK: Why do you like using storytelling when you create content?

JK: Numerous studies show that stories are more persuasive to the human mind than cold, hard facts—mostly because they allow us to suspend expectations of reality. Stories are also far easier to remember than content without context or narrative; we grow up listening to stories and know the ol’ story arc very well (from introduction to climax to resolution, and everything in between). It’s familiar in all the right ways; it gives the writer or speaker access to the emotional parts of a person and opens more doors for connection than just hard facts or cold anecdotes.

RK: Why then, do you think, there is so much bad brand storytelling online and in social media?

JK: Well, we think we all know a good story when we hear one. But then, let me ask: How is it that something we grow up surrounded by and accustomed to hearing turns into a sloppy mess when we apply it to branding? I think this is the result of the fact that it is easy to get confused when telling stories. So there are three common mistakes that you must avoid when telling brand stories.

1. The brand is not the hero.

Every story shares some elements of plot—and every story has some sort of hero or protagonist at the center. When it comes to brand storytelling, your brand is not the hero. The story does not go, “And the corn niblets bravely fought off the dangers of heart disease with fervor and grace. Buy Green Giant!”

Here’s the thing: Brand storytelling is not really about you. It’s about what you help your customers accomplish and the values that underpin your existence.

Corn niblets are not a hero your audience cares about or can relate to. Even though you want to throw your brand front and center, storytelling is about the customer and what you can do for them. You are the “Mentor,” the person or thing that makes achieving a goal and rising above challenges (the original refusal to a call/tests and enemies/central ordeal as found in Joseph Campbell’s Hero Journey paradigm) possible. When you tell the story of the customer, you’re really telling your own.

2. Appealing to foreign or inconsistent values.

Every brand has a story; that “story” is the sum of the brand’s values, promises, and attitudes. While we talk about storytelling as a format for content, there is also a greater narrative outside of the content: the real-world perceptions of who you are and what you stand for. Those values need to remain consistent over time, because they’re what attracted your audience in the first place.

Remember that telling a story is about wrapping your audience up in the narrative. The moment you stomp on their values or create a world they don’t want to live in, you’ve lost them.

3. Displaying unrelatable characters.

The audience must be able to connect with the characters in your story. To appeal to your audience, they must be able to engage to a credible story. Your audience must be able to see themselves in the story and, thus, it becomes believable with real emotions.

RK: So then, any final words on how people can tell a better brand story?

JK: You must account for the values, desires, and imagination of the customer. By trying to be the hero or wrestle away the imagination of an audience, you are actually tripping over yourself. The stories that come out of your brand need to be consistent with what your customers stand for. You need heroes they can believe in or see themselves as. You need problems that really exist and narratives that could actually take place and appeal to emotions and challenges we all know and understand.

—Joel Klettke, Freelance Copywriter and Conversion Optimization Specialist at Business Casual Copywriting @JoelKlettke, [email protected]