Not Just Any Story…But Your Story

On our journey to smart narratives, we so far have spoken of the power of a story, if that story can activate emotions and communicate values (connect).

But we speak not just of any story.

It’s your story that makes for a smart narrative – one that’s uniquely yours – one that makes you special. It’s one that differentiates you from the crowd. It is the story about what matters to you or what makes you special in your own way.

In The Hook: How to Share Your Brand’s Unique Story to Engage Customers, Boost Sales, and Achieve Heartfelt Success, Richard Krevolin lays out the proposition that a brand’s story must in be in line with its Brand DNA.

Of course, in its conventional scientific context DNA is the hereditary material in humans and most other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA streucture, and it is what makes you you, and similar to, but still different from, other people.

In describing what he means by DNA in this context, he cites architect Mark Kanuer who explores brand DNA in designing a project as “Differences, Nature, Attributes” – meaning what makes one brand different from all others.

Say Krevolin, “Just as biological DNA determines what characteristics a person has in their genetic makeup, Brand DNA determines what attributes are baked into a business. Every decision about business brand issues will be influenced by referring to and adhering to this Brand DNA”.

Fred Rogers spoke of everyone being special in their own way. This special in their own way is what makes for a story that is uniquely theirs – the starting line in considering a smart narrative.

Your story has power.

But in order to tap into that power, Krevolin recommends taking time to determine the Brand DNA, and then taking even more time to make sure that brand narratives are all in line with that DNA, thus enabling all of one’s stories to help further that best identity.