It’s amazing to me that many marketers still believe that branding is no more than a great logo and a snappy tagline.  Sure, a logo gives you a visual representation of your brand and a tagline should quickly communicate your value.  But a logo and a tagline are only the “cover elements” to your story — just the window dressing to a rich, powerful and engaging brand story.

Since the most primitive campfires and throughout history, stories have helped teach, influence and help us make sense of our world and our place in it.   Brand stories do the same thing.  They help drive our brands’ critical interactions with our customers and stakeholders. But unlike the typical story structure, they have no ending. Once they begin, they build on themselves — chapter by chapter — over time.

A great brand story, like any great story, is so compelling that customers imagine themselves a part of that story.  Look at the Harley-Davidson brand story.  It tells such a strong story of freedom and camaraderie on the open road that it has an ever-growing community of “hogs” — some who are willing to spend hours under the tattoo needle to become a human billboard for the brand.  And then there’s Apple.  A story of incredible innovations created for people who “think different.”  Even if you’re a PC fan and proud of it, the Apple story certainly makes you feel a bit uncomfortable — that perhaps you’re ranked with people who don’t dare to be different.  That’s the power of brand “storysharing.”   It invites people into your world.  And it encourages them to be an active participant in that world.

The creation of your brand story begins by establishing a foundation brand messaging system — a collection of strategic messages that go far beyond a listing of brand features and benefits.  Brand messages differentiate the experience your brand offers customers from the experience competitors offer.  The messages put what you offer in the context of what your customers need in their lives and their businesses.  They are the messages that you consistently share time and time again. They help you create a brand story so compelling, that customers and prospects feel a need to connect and interact with your brand — and the more they interact, the more likely they are to transact.  They help you stay true and consistent with the story you tell on your Web site, in your PR initiatives, in your advertising campaigns and through all the social media outlets available today.

Branding isn’t accomplished with a logo and a tag.  That’s like saying you’ve written a book when you only have the cover art and the title.  When you want your brand to live on “happily ever after,” take the time to weave the story first.