September 1, 2017

Branding: Three examples of how storytelling can improve your branding

Storytelling is not a tool for writers only. Marketers and brand experts also use it to enhance the brands they work on. In this article, we present three of our own projects that show how you can use storytelling to improve your branding.

The logo as a storytelling element

What if your logo was not just a logo? What if your logo explained your company? What if you could use your logo as an elevator pitch?

We took this storytelling approach with Beyond Management, an innovative HR company. Where Beyond Management differentiates from classical HR companies is in its changing perspective. Typical HR companies love to talk about tools and processes. It’s almost as if they didn’t care about the human aspects.

Beyond Management does the opposite. It puts the human aspect in the center, and the tools and processes are considered as complementary resources.

a differentiated visual for a differentiated offer — putting back the human in “human resources”

for a dynamic company — reflecting the nature of the company

We translated this in an animated logo that tells this exact story. First, you see the classical mindset. Here the round form is a metaphor for the human aspects. The rigid rectangular form is a metaphor for the tools and processes. Then arrives a change. The human aspect grows while the processes and tools get reduced. That’s the shift that Beyond Management brings to HR.

An algorithm as a storytelling element

What happens when branding is not only about the company or institution anymore. What happens when branding is about how you fit in this institution?

We made it happen using algorithms and Storytelling. In a project for the EPFL Alumni association, we developed an algorithm that created unique logos for each member of the association. Thanks to this computer-led generation, the branding was not only about the institution but was unique for each student.

for different personalities — variations for each person

By using a generative identity approach, algorithms and storytelling we were able to create a real personal brand.

Printing methods as a storytelling element

You receive a business card. Usually, you see the name of the person and his contact information – that’s it. Sometimes the business card is nice and pretty. But what this little piece of paper told a story as soon as you would have it in your hand?

building up from the basic — a mini story book

beyond statements, it tells a story — each card for a different function

We developed something similar for Blackboat, an innovative consulting firm. The brand story of Blackboat is something like: “Blackboat is the doctor for companies”. They help companies grow without having a heart attack.

This story was translated both visually and physically in the business card. The business card uses the symbol of a pill as cut out element. It automatically fires the notion of something medical to the recipient’s brain. All of this with only printing and cutting.

Bring storytelling in your branding

You can include Storytelling from the creation of a brand just as we did in these examples. You can also do it after the creation of a brand. The important thing is that you make your brand alive using Storytelling. Are you ready to do this step?