What Giving Away $6 Million Taught Me About Branding

Posted on 19. Dec, 2011 by Natalie in Build Your Online Business, Marketing & Sales

This is a guest post from the lovely and talented Stephanie Pollock.

Before I left my corporate job to become my own boss, I worked in the oil and gas sector. I had come from the non-profit world, so making the leap to corporate – let alone oil and gas, was a big transition.

But I felt great about the work because my job was to give some of the company’s money to well-deserving non-profit organizations that were making a difference in our stakeholder communities.

But while my job title was Senior Advisor, Community Partnerships & Investment, my real title should have been, “Brand Manager” because at the core, that’s what I was.

My role was to invest in the community, but in a way that positioned the company as a leader, innovator and community-minded company. And the truth is, they were (and continue to be) – but not for the reasons you may think.

Some of our fellow oil and gas companies had community investment budgets in the millions – like $33 million per year. Can you imagine? Our budget was hovering around $6 million per year.

Now, that sounds like a lot – but remember, I was seeing proposals for $500,000 + investments. It doesn’t take much to use up $6 million. I digress.

Despite this rather ‘small’ budget, our company was seen as one of the leading companies in Canada for community involvement. We won industry and community awards regularly. We were consistently featured in the media as one of the best companies for community involvement. We were constantly referenced as a model for corporate giving.

And, it wasn’t because of the money.

It was because of the story we told.

While other companies simply gave money and then took a ‘grip & grin’ photo for the company newsletter and website, we worked hard to come up with ways to leverage and maximize that investment.

And to tell the story about WHY we were giving back.

This included coming up with an amazing ad campaign that featured our investments in health, education, environment, arts & culture and community. In these ads, we featured the non-profit leaders and turned the spotlight on them and the story of their organization.

These stories were compelling. They were interesting. They drew you in.

We looked for any opportunity to tell our story – our commitment to community and why it mattered. From our ads to our speeches to our events to our website to everything else, we wove a story that resonated with people. That positioned us a leader. That positioned us as one of the ‘good’ corporations that truly cared (and here’s the thing – that wasn’t a lie. Sure, there were benefits to us – but from our CEO down, our company wanted to make the community a better place).

So how does that relate to you?

What story are YOU telling? And why should anyone care?

People are captivated by stories. And they buy because of stories.

Let’s face it – there’s no shortage of information out there. Really – anything you want to know about you can find for free online. So if that’s the case – why would anybody buy anything from you? It’s because they resonate deeply with the story you tell.

And yet so many entrepreneurs aren’t telling a very interesting one. Or, they are trying to tell too many.

This leaves your audience confused…”who are you today? Oh – ok, now we’re talking about this..”

Telling one central compelling brand story draws your prospects in. It lets them know they are in the right place. It clues them in to what they can expect from you and your brand. It positions you as a leader and a credible expert. And, if done well, it fascinates them into coming back for more and more.

Your Brand Story is made up of:

• Your brand’s values, purpose, strengths and key attributes
• What you believe in – what you stand for
• Your business point of view – what specific angle you take on your topic
• Your brand’s big WHY – why you are doing what you do and why it matters
• The WIIFM factor – what’s in it for your audience? What’s the lesson/moral/outcome they can expect?
• Your positioning – how you position yourself in the marketplace. E.g. Are you the uber-helpful, super-practical provider to the masses, or do you provide a deep, intimate community experience?

Here are some guidelines when creating your own brand story:

Be authentic
This isn’t about concocting a brand story that isn’t true. Your story should really come from the heart of your business

Be transparent
People like hearing how you’ve overcome something they are currently struggling with. Share this story with your audience – they want to see the possibility of going from where they are to where you are now

Be consistent
Tell the same story over and over again. It’s a powerful way to orient your audience. Eg. if one day you’re talking about how you’re in the business of straight-up practical coaching, and the next day you’re talking about healing from a heart place and the next day it’s some other version – that’s confusing and your audience will look elsewhere.

Be a mirror
Help your audience see themselves in your story. When you do this, people will want to be part of everything you do.

Be YOU
A great brand story has some personality, some flare - that something-something that just draws people in. Find your brand’s 10% twist and make sure you infuse it in your story.

Once you’ve got a firm sense of your brand’s unique story it’s time to start sharing it. Use it in all your communications – tell versions of it, but never stray too far. The minute you change up the big orienting story, is the minute your audience checks out. They come to expect ONE central story from you – it’s why they are part of your community.

Your brand story is a powerful way to position yourself as a leader in the marketplace, and to ignite your profit potential. The great brands, the super-brands, intrinsically understand that their success is largely defined on how successfully they tell their brand story.

Your turn: Start crafting a powerful, compelling brand story that your right people will find fascinating. It’ll boost your business AND your bottom line.

As Brand Activator + Coach for Stephanie Pollock Media Inc., Stephanie is on a mission to help women entrepreneurs brand their brilliance and ignite their income. Stephanie has a unique gift for uncovering the genius deep inside her clients through her signature Activate Brand YOU process. She inspires women to identify their brand’s brilliance factor and position it powerfully for maximum impact and income. Grab her free 10 Smart Strategies to Boosting Your Brand’s Profit Potential ecourse.

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Tags: brand activator. stephanie pollock, build your bottom line, crafting a powerful story