Hero brand creation

Part 6 of our "Hero branding" series

You as business owners are an unprecedented group of individuals in society; you have fought, struggled and managed to build an enterprise which, without you, would not exist.

Far from being just a set of bricks and mortar, the story that has brought you to where you are today contains some compelling features that, if told properly, can be a source of inspiration for others.  Your story is not just compelling, but also the key to:

• open up doors to new and fruitful opportunities
• increase revenue by strengthening your relationships with existing and new customers and clients
• instill a sense of purpose in your company which will be far reaching, enlivening your staff

So let's bring your ‘heroic story’ to life.  In an initial meeting we must first recognize and document the essential ingredients of your business.  We need to know why you do what you do.  We require a charted time-line of milestone events in your business history.  As an astute filmmaker or author would do, we conduct a brainstorming session with these vital elements to identify which key emotional triggers of your story need to be developed to form a consistent narrative thread that will engage with your chosen demographic. Solid research, imagination and astute editing allow us to add texture, colour and structure to your business story.

Once our writer/s are satisfied with the first draft of your story, a copy will be sent to you for your review and feedback.  We believe in total collaboration with our clients in order to produce our finest, most authentic work.  Together, we continue to develop this story until you're entirely satisfied.  After all, your story will be the core of your hero branding and the foundation for all your other marketing communication in the future. 

Recognizing your business story

Part 5 of our "Hero Branding" series 

When people connect with a business they are not just connecting with a commodity but a living, breathing organism that they have chosen over all the other businesses vying for their attention.

People connect on different levels with companies but the ones that achieve ongoing success, and are of the most interest, are those that invest emotional capital into their brand to create meaningful and long-lasting connections.  All companies are trying to find this missing ingredient which can give them a wide appeal; the 'X Factor' some may say.  At Cowan and Partners we believe finding this inexplicable quality is simple - the answer is right on your front door.

The focus of your business, going forward, will be the most powerful resource you have available to you: your story.  Why is this so powerful?  Your story will resonate the truth, appealing to the hopes and aspirations of those people you wish to connect with.  They will be the biggest allies in helping you grow your business.  There is a hero in all businesses who can become the leaders that set the tide in motion.

The first step in this journey is recognizing the story which will be your foundation for all future communications and reverberate throughout your whole company.  We do this by taking you through an extensive consultation which will reveal the very fabric of your business.  We get to know the real you, your beliefs and values,  your business journey that led you to where you are today, your current situation and challenges, and your vision for the future.  We establish who you need to reach, your available budget and the effective plan to achieve your objectives.

What's your business story?

Part 4 of our "Hero Branding" series

We believe every business has a meaningful, heroic story.  

Telling this story in a distinctive, powerful and entertaining way is the key to creating a deep, long-lasting emotional bond with clients, customers/fans and employees.  Let's dig deep to find your compelling story of purpose.

Every business has a hero story with a meaning that goes beyond the mere limitations of a standard offering.  Maybe it is not your natural instinct to look back.  However, in your life you have been inspired by other people telling their stories of overcoming incredible odds and personal heroes who have taken a stand for what they believe in.  Yet has it ever crossed your mind that the set of circumstances that has brought you and your business to where you are today contain the very same ingredients as those stories which have personally inspired you?

Obviously having the ingredients is not enough.  You need to be able to recognize which parts of your life and your business's journey can be packaged to engage with your relevant audience.  We understand that most people are not storytellers by nature and we know that your time is precious, dedicated to making important business decisions now.  Cowan & Partners can work with you to recognize, package and communicate the inner narrative which will make your business an essential, advancing force in the market.

Every business can be a hero brand

Part 3 of our "Hero Branding" series

The art of telling one’s story has seemingly been lost on most businesses that may think that the world of inspiration lies solely in dark rooms with projectors, in concert halls and sports stadiums.

As the world becomes ever more saturated with little to no distinction between the offerings of different companies, tomorrow’s industry leaders will be those who recognize within themselves their purpose and what they stand for.

This accomplishment will not be limited to a privileged few.  Far from it!  You may ask “How can my accounting firm or cleaning company inspire others?” Every idea and service you provide, as well as each success you enjoy as a business, follows initial sacrifices and challenges which required drive, determination and passion to overcome.  Businesses are unique in that they have a ready-made, inner built purpose whose very make-up can wield a force which is as powerful as those stories that drive people to cinemas, purchase music for their iPods and cheer for their favourite sports team on the weekend.  Your business has an important purpose – it’s now a case of packaging and articulating this purpose through everything you do.

Heroism in business wins

Part 2 of our "Hero Branding" series

Stories that take on the universal theme of the human spirit overcoming incredible odds win hearts and minds.

                

The hero story does not complicate things.  It is simply a compelling narrative, underpinned by a set of beliefs that appeal to audience's emotions and imagination around the world.  Millions have watched the formidable fight between good and evil played out in a galaxy far, far away, followed a mad doctor and young Michael J. Fox travelling into the past to find their future, and felt every punch as a national hero by the name of Rocky taught us to never give up.  Producers understood that these simple life lessons told with artistic merit, passion and high entertainment value were profitable at the box office.

                

So where does the business world fit into the equation?

                

Unsurprisingly there are businesses that create as much fervour and excitement in their brands as the aforementioned movies. Just like their film franchising counterparts they exhibit that same inexplicable quality of standing for something in people's lives.  By communicating and packaging their unique values and aspirations they manage to project an identity which many people identify with and make their own.  Just look at brands such as Apple, Virgin, The Body Shop and Harley Davidson.  These brands go beyond bricks and mortar, products and services.  Their brands have created unique identities, and have a real and powerful reason for their existence.  By telling their story and packaging their meaning, they manage to transcend the boundaries of mere businesses, turning themselves into hero brands.

The results are there for everyone to see.  People wear these brands on their t-shirts, queue outside for hours to be the first to buy their new products, talk about them over dinner and make recommendations as if they are personally involved in the brands' development.  

What are these companies doing differently?  Skilfully telling and sharing their story with passion and enthusiasm; activating a sense of meaning with the constant reinforcement of their message through different marketing communication channels including advertising, brand design, web and direct marketing, publicity and sales.

We believe that every business is a hero brand just waiting to be unleashed, with a true story that is both inspiring and unique.  By tapping into the very soul of your business, and powerfully communicating your own personal heroic story - engaging your clients, employees, shareholders and the general public - your business will reap long lasting benefits.

What is a hero brand?

Part 1 of our "Hero Branding" series.

Reflective of our own desires and beliefs, the hero is a symbol for hope.  Inescapable from popular culture, the hero story is a concept to which we strongly gravitate.  The hero brand is the perfect vehicle for businesses to build a following.

A brand is a projected image of an individual or a group of individuals through their communication. Brands are all around us, part and parcel of our daily lives.  The most important question for businesses is why do some brands resonate in people’s hearts and minds, while others do not?

Let us propose this scenario.  Imagine you could consolidate and fuse your brand with your own beliefs and aspirations; in effect establish an identity which has a purpose embodying everything you do.  Go one step further and imagine that people start to identify with your purpose.  They see in your identity a desirable set of values and an appealing attitude that is consistent with their own outlook on life.  You are now on the way to securing a hero brand.

The hero brand is unique in that it makes a deep emotional connection with its audience; a bond which is so powerful that its very nature is embedded in the subconscious of its audience.  Naturally, a hero brand’s story always has a hero - represented by an individual (ie Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Anita Roddick) and/or an ideology which is infused in the organisation as a whole (ie Google, Harley Davidson.)  When this story resonates with those who hear it, brand loyalty isn’t far away.

Businesses that embody the hero brand and effectively communicate their story succeed.  You can start replacing the words “clients”, “customers” and “employees” with “believers.”

TV ads: first entertain

People switch on the TV, and turn on other broadcast mediums, primarily to be entertained by drama, action, comedy, reality/talk/game/talent shows, sports, music and even news content these days (if we’re honest with ourselves.)  So, when to be entertained is the purpose for tuning in, why is the bulk of advertising seen and heard via these channels so bland, having precisely the opposite effect of what entertainment offers?  Surely, the first criteria for any broadcast advertisement  – before announcing key benefits of the product/service/brand – must be that it entertains on some level in order to engage with the audience that the advertiser is appealing to.  Unfortunately, in most cases those producing the ads just maintain the status quo and adhere to outdated marketing theories.  Consequently the advertisers' dollars are wasted, and the audience largely switches off to their message.  With restrictions lifted on new ideas, and the willingness, energy and creativity to develop entertaining ads, it would be a different story.