A hero on a quest.
A hero uniquely suited to slay this dragon.
Other heroes need not apply.
I’ve been in three conversations this month with brand professionals where Story was front and center. They were all adamant that Story is fundamental to brand work. Spoiler: they’re right.
Let’s look at a classic non-business story, like The Lord of the Rings (which, coincidentally, my family rewatched this month).
Hero? Check.
Quest? Definitely.
Dragon? It’s a villain and his ring, but yes.*
And the hero, this diminutive hole-dweller named Frodo, is the only one suited for the quest. He is uniquely qualified. Any of those other heroes (there are lots) would have failed.
I like to think of a company’s brand story in the same way. It has a quest and a dragon to slay (a problem to be solved). And it needs a hero who is uniquely suited to slay that particular dragon. It’s tempting to cast oneself as the hero, uniquely positioned to solve the customer’s problem. Who doesn’t want to be the hero? And sometimes that works.
But a more powerful story is one where the customer is cast as the hero. They’ll slay their own dragon, and you’re there to equip them. Your support/product/solution makes them uniquely qualified. That’s a story they’ll love.
Story is powerful. With that piece in place, all the other things—all those dragons that Chalkbox helps clients slay—are so much easier.
We have a few brilliant friends who can help you craft your story. And we have a lot of arrows in our quiver to help you communicate that story. Go ahead and ask.
*Yes. Yes. Simmer down, fellow nerds. I know The Hobbit has an actual dragon that gets slayed. But the hero doesn't slay it, and it's not his quest in the first place. Believe me, I tried 🙂