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• ☠️ RedBox DVD Kiosks Are Finally Dead (WSJ)

• 📺️ The Six Campaigns That Prove Creativity Is Back in 2024 (Marketing Dive)

• 🚕 Tesla’s RoboTaxi Fleet Are Taking The Long Route With Launch Delayed Again (Bloomberg)

🔗 The Very Best Of LinkedIn This Week

• 🕹️ How Nintendo Won The Console Wars With Their Weakness (link)

• 🙏 A Plea To Non-Marketers To Stop Embarrassing Yourselves (link)

• 🖊️ Razor Sharp Advertising Wit From Bic (link)

• 🆘 Tom Goodwin On Why Marketing Seems To Be The Most “Lost” Profession (link)

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• 🧠 Jellyboard - Powerful Tools For Team Brainstorming And Notes.

MR. MILLER’S FRAMEWORK 🏗️ 

Donald Miller's "Building a StoryBrand" introduces the StoryBrand 7 (SB7) framework, which is a set of seven principles designed to help brands communicate effectively by framing their message as a story.

1. Character - Identify your customer as the hero.

2. Problem - Define the customer's external, internal, and philosophical problems.

3. Guide - Position your brand as the guide with empathy and authority.

4. Plan - Provide a clear plan to help the customer overcome their problem.

5. Call to Action - Encourage customers to take action.

6. Avoid Failure - Highlight the negative consequences of not taking action.

7. Success - Show the positive transformation that results from using your product or service.

Miller’s framework is not just theoretical but practical, with numerous examples of its successful application. And there’s a tonne of data to back up the powerful effect story has on communication. For example:

• According to research by the London School of Business, people retain only 5-10% of information consisting of statistics alone, but remember 65-70% when they hear a story.

• 55% of buyers are more likely to buy the product in the future when advertised using story, 44% will share the story, and 15% are more inclined buy the product immediately.

• 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that feel like stories.

• 62% of B2B marketers report storytelling to be more effective in content marketing.

• In a study by Carnegie Mellon, students who received a storytelling-based brochure donated $2.38 on average, compared to $1.14 from those who received a fact-based brochure.

Whilst the framework is thorough and clearly on point - you don’t have time to read the whole book, or even get through a break-down of the full SB7 (that’s why you’re here after all).

So today, we’ll dive into the four most crucial communication concepts from the book to put your brand in full Hemingway storyteller mode:

1. Who is the hero?

2. What does the hero want?

3. Who does the hero have to defeat?

4. What tragic thing will happen if the hero doesn’t win?

With these four questions answered you’ll have everything you need to help you craft a compelling narrative that places your customer at the centre of the story and positions your brand as the indispensable guide.

WE CAN BE HEROES? 🪖

Let's get one thing straight: Your brand is not the hero of the story.

In all stories, the hero is the one who overcomes adversity, the one who comes out the other end transformed. So it cannot be that your brand is the hero can it?

Instead, think of your customer as Luke Skywalker. He’s the one facing the daily struggles of the evil Empire, and you, your brand, you are Yoda.

Or should I say “Yoda you are”.

Your job isn’t to brag about how cool Yoda is. It’s to show Luke how to use the Force to conquer his challenges. The task is to help the customer feel seen and heard, ensure they know you have the solution and that you’ve made this same transformation before.

Yet, so many brands get this wrong. They turn the spotlight on themselves, boasting about their achievements, their history, their mission. There’s a time and place for this, as a tiny detour from the main story - but the main story, it certainly is not.

Dove nailed it by making real women the heroes of their own beauty journeys. Instead of parading around their product's features, Dove famously celebrated the natural beauty of everyday women. The message? "You are beautiful just the way you are, and Dove is here to support you." Dove positioned itself as the guide, championing and understanding the hero while subtly suggesting their products as tools in the journey to self-acceptance.

In Nike's "Find Your Greatness" campaign the customer is the hero, striving for personal greatness, with Nike providing the gear and inspiration to get there. The ads feature regular folks, not just superstar athletes, pushing their limits. Nike doesn't say, "Look how great we are." Instead, it says, "Look how great you can be."

Similarly, Airbnb subtly shifted the narrative from “Look at our amazing properties” to “Look at the amazing experiences you can have.” Airbnb’s story is that of hosts and guests creating unique, memorable stays, with the brand becoming the facilitator, the trusty guide making those adventures possible.

So remember, 1) any story worth telling must have a hero and 2) your brand is not the hero. Your customer is.

WHAT DOES OUR HERO WANT? 🤷

In every great story, the hero has a burning desire, a singular goal driving them forward. 

Luke Skywalker wants to save the galaxy, Frodo wants to destroy the One Ring, and Harry Potter wants to defeat Voldemort. Your customer? They probably just want to clean their dishes, signal to prospective mates they’re wealthy or maybe just feed the family without cooking, or feeling guilty about it.

The crux of effective marketing lies in identifying and honing in on that one thing your customer wants from your brand. 

Here’s where most marketers get this wrong. 

Instead of zeroing in on a clear, singular desire and going deep on that challenge (What does that mean for the customer? How does it make them feel? What would solving this challenge feel like? etc.) they just spew out every possible pain point or possible objection, wildly attempting to match ‘problems’ with their product features in a messaging salad.

Let’s not make salad 🥗

Let’s take a step back and look at a brand that nailed it. Remember, clarity trumps cleverness or volume every time.

Slack understood that what teams want is seamless communication and collaboration without the chaos of traditional emails. Their marketing doesn’t bombard you with features and technical jargon.

Instead, it focuses on the simplicity and efficiency Slack brings to team communication (also, notice who is the hero in this image?) 

The message is clear: “Slack makes your working life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.”

That’s it. No grandstanding about their cutting-edge software architecture or the genius of their founders – just a straightforward promise to make your workday better.

Don’t fall for the Marketer’s Myopia; Your customers are not even remotely as obsessed as you are with your product and its features. They don’t care about your patented polymer technology or your founder’s inspiring backstory. They care about what your product can do for them.

So, next time you’re crafting your marketing message, ask yourself: What is the one thing my customer wants? Not ten things - just one, clear, tangible benefit. 

Nail that, and you’re halfway to crafting a story that truly resonates.

EVERY HERO NEEDS A VILLAIN 😈

Every epic tale features a formidable villain – someone or something the hero must overcome to achieve their goal. When it comes to a story brand, this villain represents the consequences that come with not solving the initial problem, or the obstacles the customer faces, that our product helps them overcome.

Imagine you're marketing time management software. 

What’s the villain? Distractions.

But don't just call them distractions. 

Personify them as evil bank robbers with masks, robbing your customers’ time and killing their entrepreneurial dreams. 

Suddenly, your product isn’t just another tool; it’s a weapon in the customer’s arsenal to fight back against these relentless time thieves. 

Your customer, the hero, now has a clear enemy to defeat with your software, turning a mundane product into a heroic asset.

By personifying and clarifying a villain and positioning your business as a tool to defeat that villain, your customer will feel like a hero who's ready to rise to the challenge. 

When the stakes are clear, and the villain is tangible, the narrative becomes engaging and motivating. 

Your customer isn't just buying a product; they're embarking on a quest, armed with your brand, to overcome a significant obstacle in their life.

Defining the villain is crucial. It transforms your product from a mere commodity into a necessary ally in the customer’s battle for success. 

When you're crafting your marketing narrative, don't shy away from highlighting the villain. 

Embrace it, personify it, and show your customer exactly how your product will help them rise to the challenge and emerge victorious. Because in the end, a hero is only as great as the obstacles they overcome.

#truethat

WHAT HAPPENS IF IT ALL GOES WRONG? ⚠️ 

In every gripping tale, the stakes are sky-high. 

If Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Frodo don’t defeat their respective villains, we’re looking at a world (or galaxy) plunged into darkness and despair. The stakes are massive and that’s what keeps us hooked (and got me through four Harry Potter books 🤷).

Similarly, with a Story Brand, if your customers don’t act – if they don’t choose your product or service – there should be clear and dire consequences.

What’s the cost of not doing business with you? 

What’s the nightmare scenario your product helps avoid? 

But don’t go crazy, you need to add just the right amount of fear. Think of it as seasoning. Too little, and your message is bland and doesn’t evoke a reaction; too much, and it get spat across the room. 

Adding a dash of fear makes your story compelling and urgent. But not like, jump out the window urgent.

Let’s say you’re selling cybersecurity software. What’s the villain? Cyber threats. What happens if the hero (your customer) doesn’t act? Their business could be hacked, sensitive data stolen, their reputation in tatters, millions in fines or worse.

By painting this picture, you’re not just selling software; you’re offering a shield against potential disaster. 

Use fear, but use it wisely. Highlight the dire consequences your customer faces without your product, but balance it with the hope and relief your product offers. 

When customers can see the disaster looming and understand how your product saves the day, they’re far more likely to act.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TOLKIEN 🧙

Now that we’ve explored the core concepts, it’s time to put them into action. Here are some practical steps to deploy the SB7 model in your brand communications. And remember, while you might not be the hero, you're the indispensable guide.

1. Identify Your Hero (Customer)

Task: Understand your customer’s desires, struggles, and journey.

Activity: Develop detailed customer personas. Host a workshop with your team to map out customer personas using real data from surveys, interviews, and market research. Pro tip: Don’t just make stuff up because it sounds good. Talk to actual customers.

2. Define the Villain (Problem)

Task: Personify the problems your customers face and position your product as the solution.

Activity: Conduct a brainstorming session to list all possible problems. Narrow it down to the most pressing one. Remember, the villain should be as unmistakable and compelling as Darth Vader, not a nebulous “bad vibe.”

3. Craft a Clear Message

Task: Focus on one specific desire your product fulfils.

Activity: Create a concise, compelling narrative that focuses on this primary desire. Your message should be as clear and direct as a neon sign in the desert.

4. Highlight the Stakes

Task: Articulate the negative consequences of not choosing your product.

Activity: Use storytelling techniques to paint a vivid picture of the stakes. Think of it as seasoning – a dash of fear goes a long way. Don’t turn it into a horror story, but make sure the consequences are clear and relatable.

5. Create a BrandScript

Task: Develop a narrative that positions your customer as the hero and your brand as the guide.

Activity: Write a BrandScript that incorporates all elements of the SB7 framework. This includes defining the hero, the villain, the plan, the stakes, and the success. Share this widely and build-up an understanding across the marketing and comms team.

6. Test and Refine

Task: Use feedback to continuously improve your storytelling approach.

Activity: Implement your BrandScript across different channels and gather feedback. Test different versions of your message, iterate on the stakes, the problem/ challenge and refine based on what resonates most with your audience. Remember, even Hemingway's stories needed a good edit.

By following these steps, you can make the most of the narrative and data-backed power of storytelling to drive results, without making it the centre-piece of your entire brand strategy - and soliciting a few well earned eye-rolls and groans from the team.

Now, go forth and tell a story worth listening to!

If you enjoyed this edition, please forward it to a friend who’s looking to level-up their marketing and communications game - they’ll love you for it (and I will too) ⏭️ 💌

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Troy Muir | The Ladder