Synopses & Reviews
Until this book was written, the phrase “brands are stories” was merely a marketing cliché. Having delved into how stories influence our behavior, however, the author asserts that the association between stories and brands deserves far more than that stock phrase.
Among the many books about branding directed toward marketing and advertising practitioners and students, none is like StoryBranding. Modeled after the way stories work, this book provides a unique planning process for creating authentic brand identities. It also reveals a number of concealed traps that other branding approaches often overlook.
Drawing on the persuasive power of stories, the author argues that a great deal of wasted effort is put into creating advertising messages that do too much “telling” and too little “showing.” To help brands resonate with their audiences, the author takes you step-by-step through StoryBranding’s six C’s—a process that shows how to approach the development of all brand communications the way story writers approach their characters, plots, and themes. He includes sample “Story Briefs” and "I AM" statements that help brands achieve a greater degree of authenticity than traditional creative or brand briefs have.
Synopsis
Why would a 30-year advertising verteran claim that most advertising is a waste of money?Having worked on many famous brands as an advertising executive, Jim Signorelli has found that today, in order for advertising to be truly effective, the brand being promoted must work the way a good story works. Many brands continue to get in their own way with an over-reliance on editorialized benefits. "Today, that's a death-wish," says Signorelli. "To remain competitive, brands must provide consumers with story themes they can relate to, identify with, and share with their tribes."
There are a number of books that discuss the parallels between stories and brands. But until this book was written, few, if any provide practical advice on how to apply story thinking to branding. Whether your brand is a product, service, or yourself, you'll be taken through the 6 steps that every brand should take in order to find it's oft-hidden story, the one that will make it most attractive to its audience. An easy, entertaining, and educational read, critics are saying this revolutionary book on branding is a must-read.
About the Author
Jim Signorelli is an advertising executive whose career has been spent at major national advertising agencies, including N.W. Ayer, W.B. Doner, Marsteller, Lois USA, and Frankel & Co. His clients have included Citibank, General Electric, Toshiba, Burger King, Arby’s, KFC, International Harvester, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, McDonald’s, The American Marketing Association, and many others. Jim is the cofounder and CEO of ESW StoryLab, a Chicago-based full-portfolio marketing firm, which was recognized by Inc. magazine three times as one of the fastest growing independent companies in the United States.