The Marketing Minute

Posted: 27 Sep 2008 01:05 PM CDT

At McLellan Marketing Group... we help clients discover their story so they can create love affairs with their customers.

That's where it all starts and ends at my shop. Story = brand which probably equals USP (but deeper) or really....the heart and soul of the organization.

Why do you exist? If the earth were to swallow you up -- what would everyone not be able to find anywhere else? When the clients that love you (you have some, right?) rave about you -- what do they say?

If you think you know the answer....do your employees? Do they tell the same story? How about your vendors/partners?

Think back over your education. Do you realize that we learn via stories. Think of how you learned about history or sociology. How about psych or Brit Lit. (what we Americans call it!) We listen to and learn from the stories.

When I construct a presentation, for each main "lesson" I want to share with the audience, I ask myself...which story should I tell. I never try to teach without stories.

So...stay with me here -- when we want our clients to get it, to understand how we can help them, to create and spread word of mouth -- how do we think they will do that?

Right! Stories.

But, they can only know and tell our story if:

We know it
We share it with them

Over the next few days, we're going to explore the MMG definition of story (brand) and what elements your story needs to include, if it's going to be the marketing tool you want it to be.