Elite marketers don't rely on a single origin story. Like a musician with a song repertoire, they curate a collection of brand stories. They then strategically select the most situationally appropriate narrative to resonate with a specific audience, goal, or context.
Delivering your core service flawlessly is the minimum requirement, not a differentiator. True advocacy is earned by going above and beyond on the surrounding details, like a roofer meticulously sweeping for nails post-job. This ancillary care is what customers remember and share.
Your brand narrative is more than just the founder's origin story. It's a collection of every team member's unique background and reason for joining the mission. Empowering them to share their "why" adds authenticity and relatability to the overall company story.
Instead of crafting a story internally, ask your best customers what they say about you to others. Their organic language reveals what's truly interesting, memorable, and different about your brand, providing a powerful, market-tested narrative.
True brand advocacy isn't just about broadcasting your narrative. It's created in the overlap where your product or service becomes so personally relevant to a customer's life that they feel a deep, unshakable connection. This intersection is the birthplace of superfandom.
The most powerful customer experiences blend technology (e.g., timely, automated emails based on shipping data) with personal touches (e.g., a thoughtful, unexpected gift). This integrated approach creates an impact where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Deep personalization doesn't always require individual user data. Apple uses contextual data like time, weather, and activity to serve Snoopy animations that feel uniquely personal, even if thousands of users see the same one simultaneously. This is contextualization, not just personalization.
Generic AI-powered personalization is now table stakes and easily ignored. The new bar for cutting through noise is to immediately demonstrate why your offering is relevant to the prospect's specific challenges and why they should invest their limited attention.