01/09/21

Why businesses should invest in strong brand narratives

Branding

Brand creation is a complex process. It involves carefully assembling a series of building blocks to form a unique and enduring concept. One of the essential components is storytelling. How the narrative is developed and woven will determine the brand’s foundation and therefore direct its future. With this in mind, we asked Leigh Banks, branding director and partner at Spinach Branding, to guide us through the London consultancy’s approach to creating successful brand narratives.

What in your opinion makes for a powerful brand narrative?

I see it as a compelling story which explains the unique characteristics of a business, including its personality, backstory and its reasons for being. A strong narrative will enable a brand to connect with clients and customers on an emotional level. This is extremely important since we tend to make decisions based on emotions rather than rationality. Of all the emotions, love, respect and desire are the most powerful. Strong brands will be aware of this and are able to create meaningful and authentic stories to stimulate these emotions.

Does it matter how small or big the company is?

Not at all. A good example is Richard Branson. He is the master of creating the challenger brand narrative, taking on the establishment, and testing the status quo to great success. Branson started his company Virgin by selling records from the back of a van! So, the size of the company isn’t as important as the belief and purpose – without either there would not have been a compelling narrative for Branson to platform on.

What projects has Spinach Branding been involved with which can highlight your approach?

We’ve been working with a number of clients with unique brand narratives, which we have been able to tap into. From the ones I can talk about (there are a few exciting branding projects still in development stage) two spring to mind. One is Soho House’s halo business Cowshed and the other, Italy’s iconic drinks brand Campari. With both commissions, we established extensive project teams from across multiple agencies, disciples and channels to deliver in-line with our initial positioning work. The projects have been about realising a shared vision for creating powerful and timeless branding and design. And these are two incredible brands! So, it has been truly fantastic collaborating with respected peers, learning from them, while sharing our knowledge and expertise.

With today’s consumers navigating a complex web of communication channels, how best should businesses tell their brand story?

The old rules remain the same: who are the target audiences, and how do they consume information. Then based on this knowledge we would assess which mix of channels offers the best returns. For instance, an engineer who spends his working day out of office in a transit van is much more likely to be moved by strategically-placed radio advertising than the latest multi-platform social campaign. Likewise, there are generational and cultural differences. Understanding the customer, applying common sense and then thinking outside of the herd, will go a long way to providing the strategy for an effective communications campaign.

Communication platforms are also ever-evolving, as is technology. What are the challenges for a consultancy like Spinach Branding in keeping up with the pace of change?

The amount of expertise needed to effectively operate across all channels is always a challenge, especially as the various platforms are constantly evolving. Whether you are a consultancy with all the expertise in-house, or one who partners with complementary agencies, the main narrative still needs to be managed across multiple teams.

And the risks?

I cannot stress enough: the brand narrative must remain consistent across multiple channels. This includes the language, the photography and the design. As ever, the risk is that the messaging platform becomes diluted as it is distributed out across agencies. This is where it is vital for the lead branding consultancy to be the guardian of the brand proposition and the narrative. Ultimately, the team will have a greater understanding of how to communicate this.

Images: ‘The Life Negroni’; Paul Rhodes ‘The Art of Baking’; Cowshed rebranding; ‘La Vita Campari’ brand book – all © Spinach Branding

Spinach Branding is a specialist branding agency based in London. We work with established businesses and start-ups around the world to build and refine their brands. See how we work and get in touch to discuss your brand.