by Sarah Smith - Creative Design at me&you
Brand Storytelling with the Story Cube formula was an evening event that I (Sarah), Creative Designer at me&you attended at the Museum of Brands. Speaker, Michael Murdoch of The House spoke to a full audience of Founders, CEOs and Entrepreneurs as well as people with job roles in the Creative, Marketing and Communication industries. It was a great evening of learning, discussion and networking.
As Creative Designer at me&you, I work on refining existing brands and creating new brands for our clients. So Brand Storytelling delivered valuable insight into how to connect more with our own audience and to assist our clients with their own stories.
As a starting point, we were all asked to think of a brand. LUSH came to mind, as it is both a product, as well as a campaign. I'd recently visited Packaging Innovations, so Lush's story focussed on reducing packaging waste really resonated with me. As a brand it is 100% vegan, packaging free which impacts well on the environment, buying is done ethically and products are handmade for a personal feel. They also campaign against animal testing and are working on preservative free cosmetics. The room was full of the sound of people sharing brand names and created discussion of how we have come to know that brand and what makes it memorable.
A good ‘Story’ is a brand’s foundation
Michael explained that a good story paired with hard work and good luck (and we also believe combined with a good product or service), are the ‘key’ to a brand’s foundation and implementing a brand strategy from.
Be ready with that ‘Story’
Michael also shared that for every good story it is crucial for entrepreneurs and team members to have this story ready for any occasion when meeting people. This story must be adaptable and have multiple versions to be able to reflect different audience needs and interests of clients/customers. We were told to be ready with that story anytime, as the need for it may arise at any time. The word 'CUBE' was highlighted. Keep it 'Concise', 'Unique', 'Believable' and 'Engaging'.
The Story Cube formula
We then explored the Story Cube formula, a six sided cube which includes a key element on each of the sides:
- Motivations (why you’re doing what you’re doing)
- Problem (what problem you solve and how you’ve validated it)
- Solution (how you solve the problem)
- Connections (who your customers are and how you reach them)
- Differentiators (what makes you stand out from the competition)
- Obstacles (what challenges you could face on your journey)
Each brand must identify a key statement linked with these six factors to create a great story.
To finalise the session, we were given an example of brand Airbnb. Airbnb promised to transform the way people travel, enabling them to explore the world, not as a tourist, but to truly ‘Imagine a world where you can belong anywhere’. The image below shows their story and how elements of the cube are within their Brand Storytelling statement.
Thanks to Michael Murdoch at The House and to the Museum of Brands for hosting this informative event. Visiting the Museum of Brands was a great experience, a venue I hadn’t visited before. As a Creative designer working in print, packaging and digital design, it was inspiring to view the collection of over 12,000 pieces spanning 150 years, taking a walk through the ‘time tunnel’ to discover how brands through packaging and advertising have evolved since the Victorian times.
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Sarah Smith, me&you Creative Designer