What is a Brand Story Mosaic©?

(and why does my business need one?)

In the past, the biggest brands in the world have spent billions and decades of research on how to develop the perfect brand story. The hope was that it developed customer loyalty by consistently reminding them of the brand’s well-thought-out image and mission. 

Well, so much for those billions of dollars spent. To be competitive today, we need to have much more than a singular, perfected brand story.

We need an entire mosaic of stories about our brand. It’s how we rise above the marketing noise, when so many consumers ignore most of what’s out there. It’s also how we will compete like we’ve never done before, with practically any size competitor – it’s that powerful. 

How does a Brand Story Mosaic Help Me Stand Out?

In order to stand out, we need to evoke some sort of emotion. The number one way to evoke emotion on social media today is to leverage the power of storytelling. 

This means refocusing our time and energy on creating an image of our company that consists of a multitude of stories. Those stories form an overall feel of your brand in the marketplace.  When we evoke emotion, we stand out, we build trust, and we become memorable. Isn’t that the whole purpose of marketing?

How do I Build a Brand Story Mosaic for my Business?

Back to that mosaic reference… When you look at a mosaic, you see a (hopefully) beautiful piece of art. The closer you get, you see that it’s comprised of many smaller pieces. It’s the same with your new brand strategy: it’s a collection of many small stories that make up the whole brand image today. 

I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ll never finish this particular mosaic (like most of my Pinterest fails, sadly). Today’s brand-building requires an ongoing telling of stories – of customers, of staff, of solutions, of your community, and more. You’ll never be done creating your mosaic as long as your goal is to continue growing your business, because it’s the number one way to connect with prospects and customers.

When crafted well, your Brand Mosaic tells the big picture of what you really stand for, in a way that evokes emotion in your customer base. 

• There’s a trust crisis in the world today.
• Stories that evoke emotion are the building blocks of human trust. 
• People are more likely to buy from companies they trust.
• If you don’t have that trust, you’re a commodity (and if you really do sell a commodity, storytelling is all the more important to set you apart!).

Start collecting stories from the interns up to the C-Suite.  Share stories of your vendors and suppliers who support you.  Tell customers stories. Community stories. How-it’s-made and behind-the-scenes stories. 

Go out and begin to create the unforgettable mosaic of what your company represents, and why we should care. When we care, we buy, refer, and repeat. 

Want to learn more? Shawna offers individual business coaching to help you build your Brand Mosaic. She also speaks to audiences on the Brand Story Mosaic.