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The Storybranding Group | Free new eBook on Bringing Your Message to Life

The Storybranding Group | Free new eBook on Bringing Your Message to Life | Just Story It | Scoop.it
From www.storybranding.com - September 13, 2011 3:31 PM

I originally wrote this review in September 2011 and have modified it slightly (Jan 9, 2012) because using archetypes in your marketing can be helpful.  And Cindy Atlee at the Storybranding Group has now come out with some assessments that could also be helpful to you (see Jan. 10 curated post from A Storied Career).


I thought long and hard about posting this piece and finally decided to do it.  I hesitated because I don't really care to be hyper-critical.  But this really bothered me because people will read the book and think "Oh, this is what business storytelling is all about" when it's not. So here goes.

 

What I like about this downloadable ebook:  it's gorgeous and a beautiful example of a communication rich document.  The layout and visuals are spot on and an example I want to emulate.  So take some lessons here on presentation.

 

The focus of the ebook is on using archetypes.  That's OK, yet a convoluted way to get at your biz stories.  I'm fully aware of archetypes and their power.  It can be a part of crafting stories yet I don't know anyone formally trained in storytelling who would start with archetypes.  There's nothing on identifying your personal business stories, story structure, story types, essential elements, sensory material, and other story devices that will actually help you find, craft and tell your business stories. So as a how-to book on marketing/branding and storytelling it doesn't work for me.  


Archetypes can be very powerful however, when figuring out who your customers are and how to connect with them best. And they are great to use when creating personas of your customers.  I do work with archetypes during certain phases of my story work with certain clients. And I love and have used Carol Pearson's work on archetypes in business depending on the client and their specific need.  Once your have identified your business stories, looking at the archetypes operating within the stories can also be very useful.


If you are working with big corporations, archetypes become a more important front and center activity.  For smaller firms and entrepreneurs, it comes much later. So it really comes down to the size of the client, what their exact needs are, and the particular story approach and story tools that are required to get the work done.

 

The rest of the material in the ebook is intersting with a few tips here and there. And it is a good example about how branding/marketing professionals approach story work.

 

Go grab it for its visual presentation, and read through it for those additional marketing insights.

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Cindy Atlee's comment, September 13, 2011 6:20 PM
Hi Karen, Well, you're absolutely right, my eBook isn't about storytelling. It's about messaging and shorter communications forms where I've found that story-based thinking (like establishing a role and staying focused on an outcome) actually helps people say things that are more authentic and more meaningful to others. I'm especially passionate about helping people remember who they really are, which is why archetypes are so important. Using the framework of a storyline helps people and organizations really see what's best and most distinctive and even most honorable about them. I like to think that helps keep them on track both in terms of what they say and what they do in the world. That's probably just the Pollyanna in me--or maybe the topic for my next eBook!
I'm trained in archetypes--not storytelling--so I don't know if others would agree with you that storytellers never start with archetypes. Sounds like an interesting question for some of my storytelling friends, though. Maybe we can get some conversation going on that :)
Karen Dietz's comment, September 13, 2011 8:47 PM
Cindy -- many thanks for your comments back and I very much appreciate your insights. I agree that story-based communication helps people be more authentic. And using archetypes to help people remember more of who they are is spot on -- one of the best uses of archetypes! I've used archetypes in branding work. Part of my training is in oral storytelling, so that's where I start with clients. We then move to written stories, then plumb the depths of their stories for visual language. At some point we might end up working with archetypes, but usually not. I do understand the work of developing personas with clients and using archetypes in that way. But I think we are reaching different audiences and fulfilling different needs in our work. I do love that you help people find their authentic voice and more power to you! It's important work. I just get touchy about the storytelling piece! Keep going and thanks for the conversation and insights.
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What does your brand stand for? [infographic]

What does your brand stand for? [infographic] | Just Story It | Scoop.it
From www.storyati.com - October 2, 2012 9:09 AM
A brand is like the lead character of its own story.  And like any story character, brands  have values and beliefs that become associated with them through their actions.  The challenge for marketers is to characterize their brands first before...


Here's a terrific infographic from colleague Jim Signorelli that will help you create a persona for your business. Once you have a persona, it becomes much easier to target your storytelling and marketing/branding efforts. And connect more forcefully with customers.


There are 2 ways of finding your persona:

  1. Examine all of your stories and determine their common characteristics. Then look at Jim's infographic to refine and finalize those qualities. Create your persona based on your discoveries.
  2. Examine this infographic to determine which character/characters you think you/your business embodies most. Check it against your stories. Build your persona from there.

What is a persona? It is a descriptive profile of a typical customer that includes a character type/archetype, demographic info, and as much flesh and bones information you can collect to create a bit of a story about this customer -- their likes, dislikes, challenges, etc.


Thanks Jim for putting together this very helpful infographic.


And if you want to dig into this topic more -- and get even smarter about using archetypes for marketing/branding -- read The Hero and The Outlaw; Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes by M. Mark & C. Pearson. It's one of my bibles :)


This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it 

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Apple, Victoria's Secret And IKEA All Fall Into The Same Brand Archetype

Apple, Victoria's Secret And IKEA All Fall Into The Same Brand Archetype | Just Story It | Scoop.it
From www.businessinsider.com - May 22, 2012 10:08 AM
What do the Apple, Victoria's Secret and IKEA brands have in common? They're all from the same archetype.

 

The brand are "Creators," according to a case study from marketing firm Added Value.

 

It's all about how consumers are able to use the brands to create their own identities. Creator brands allow people to "tap into their potential and re-invent themselves — their minds, personalities, environments, bodies, ambitions, and dreams," according to the report.


OK -- I curated this piece because it show how specific archetypes are reflected in organizations. It is a very brief article and starts to get us thinking about how this information can be used in marketing, branding, and advertising. But make sure to click through to Added Value http://www.added-value.com/culturaltraction/index.html and poke around their site for more info, case studies, and their tool.


But here is what I find disturbing about this short post and the Added Value website -- nowhere does anyone mention that these archetypes originally came from Carol Pearson's and Margaret Mark's book The Hero and The Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes (2001) http://www.amazon.com/The-Hero-Outlaw-Extraordinary-Archetypes/dp/0071364153/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337476690&sr=1-1 


Enjoy poking around the websites, but go read the book!! It contains a wealth of fabulous information and how-to tips you can use immediately for articulating your brand and targeting your communications (I'm not affiliated in any way with the authors).


Via Gregg Morris
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