​​Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller – notes
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​​The author's hypothesis is that every story we can hear or see has the same structure. The structure consists of seven basic plot points. If the story misses some of those points the plot is not interesting for us. By recognizing the framework in stories, we can understand, where the story of our brand is confusing to customers. The framework can be applied to every marketing material.
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​​The message has to communicate three things:
  • ​​Who you are. 
  • ​​What you’re here to do. 
  • ​​And why a customer should choose you instead of someone else.
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​Your marketing message needs to be clear and speak to your customer’s needs.
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  • ​​We should consider the survival-related needs of our customers. How will your product or service help them survive and flourish?
  • ​​The massage can be based on a hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow. Most of us want to be accepted, and everyone has to eat and drink – we should use that knowledge to explain how our product will help customers satisfy those needs.
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​Framework 

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​is structured around the seven most common components of a story. These components, or modules, are character, problem, guide, plan, calls to action, failure and success.
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​​🦸‍♂️​ A Character…

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​Principle one: The customer is the hero, not your brand
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​​When we position our customer as a hero and ourselves as the guide, we will be recognized as a trusted resource to help them overcome their challenges. Once we identify who our customer is, we have to ask ourselves what they want as it relates to our brand. Your customers are the heroes of our story, and we should concentrate on one desire.
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​…has a problem ​👽​

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​Principle two: Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.
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​​People like to feel understood, and when we communicate that we’re aware that customers face difficulties, we communicate understanding. 
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​​We focus on our customer’s “villain,” or internal problems, to engage them further. Even if our products are external, we should also market with internal problems in mind. These internal problems are inner frustrations, like, for example, the feeling that the customer doesn’t have enough time for themselves.
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​​Examples:
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​Tesla: 
​​Villain: Gas guzzling, inferior technology
​​External: I need a car
​​Internal: I want to be an early adopter of new technology
​​Philosophical: My choice of a car ought to help save environment.
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​Nespresso home coffee machines
​​Villain: Coffee machines that make bad coffee.
​​External: I want better-tasting coffee at home
​​Internal: I want my home coffee machine to make me feel sophisticated.
​​Philosophical: I shouldn’t have to be a barista to make a gourmet coffee at home.
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​…and meets the guide ​🧙🏻‍♂️​

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​Principle three: Companies aren’t looking for another hero, they’re looking for a guide
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​​In our brand story, Buffer is the guide – that wise and supportive someone who helps the customer overcome life’s problems. To effectively and convincingly present ourselves as a guide, we need two things:
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  • ​​Empathy 
  • ​​It not only demonstrates that we understand the pain and frustration of our customer; it also sets the foundation for a trusting relationship. This will help our advice to be taken seriously.
  • ​​Empathetic statements starts with words like: “We understand how it feels…”, “Like you, we are frustrated by…”
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  • ​​Authority
  • ​​We should show our competence by social proof, testimonials, statistics, awards, logos…
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​…who gives them a plan ​📜​

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​Principle four: Customers trust a guide who has a plan
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​​To ensure customer purchases, we should either show our customers exactly what to do, or make purchasing our product absolutely risk-free.
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  • ​​Process plan – it shows customers how to buy our product or how to use it, thereby decreasing the risk of customer confusion and increasing the chances of customer retention. The process plans alleviating confusion.
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  • ​​Example:
  • ​​Download the software > Integrate your database into our system > Revolutionize your customer interaction
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  • ​​Agreement plan – they alleviating fears. For example “no credit card required”, “easy cancelation”, etc. Brand values can be used as agreement plan too. 
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​…and calls them to action ​🔔​

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​Principle five: Customers do not take action unless they are challenged to take action
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​​Direct calls to action challenge customers, boldly and clearly, to make a purchase. 
  • ​​Primary, direct call to action like “Register”, “Start a free trial”.
  • ​​Secondary, transitional call to action, it seeks to maintain a friendly relationship with customers in case they decide against making a purchase. It’s to ensure that, next time they encounter the problem of our product solves, they will think of us, and not the competition. That could be simple but helpful thing like pdf with social media resources, an invitation to webinar…

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​…that helps them avoid failure ​💔​

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​Principle six: Every human being is trying to avoid a tragic ends
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​​People are more interested in avoiding loss than pursuing gain. And this means that we should make crystal clear the disadvantages of not purchasing our product or service.
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​​Examples:
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​Win summer camps for kids:
​​A long, boring summer,
​​A bunch of restless kids in your house
​​Regret about having wasted the summer
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​…and ends in a success! ​🎊​

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​Principle seven: Never assume people understand how your brand can change their lives. Tell them.
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​​Show our customers how our product will transform their lives by sharing a vision. Nike doesn’t simply sell quality footwear and athletic gear. It promises an entire lifestyle.
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  1. ​​Winning power and position (The need of status)
​​Brand or product synonymous with status. 
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​​Offer access: Getting to another level by collecting stamps/points that give premium access
​​Create scarity: Limited number of something
​​Offer a premium: Offering special privileges 
​​Offer identity association: Associating brand with success and refinement
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​​Example: selling a premium membership that offers perks unavailable to other members.
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  1. ​​Union that makes the hero whole (The need for something external to create completeness)
​​How we can make our customer’s life more complete? 
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​​Examples: reduced anxiety, more peaceful life, reduced workload, reduced frustration by giving more time
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  1. ​​Self-realization and acceptance (The need to reach our potential)
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​​Inspiration: We should find out what our brand can offer to be associated with an inspirational feat. A brand like Harvard Business Review has associated themselves with an intellectual accomplishment. 
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​​Acceptance: We should help customers accept themselves for who they are. For example, by using real photos Dove and American Eagle went beyond product promotion and contributed to universal self-acceptance among their clients.  
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​Brand script

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​A character

  • ​​What do they want?
  • ​​…….

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​Has a Problem

  • ​​Villain
  • ​​……..
  • ​​Internal
  • ​​……
  • ​​External
  • ​​…….

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​And meets a guide

  • ​​Empathy
  • ​​…….
  • ​​Authority
  • ​​…….

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​Who gives them a plan

  • ​​Process
  • ​​…….
  • ​​Agreement
  • ​​…….

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​And calls them to action

  • ​​Direct
  • ​​…….
  • ​​Transactional
  • ​​…….

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​That helps them avoid a failure

  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
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​That ends in a success

  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
  • ​​…….
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​Character transformation

​​From ……. to ………
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​​Before your brand
​​After your brand
​​What do they have?
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​​What are they feeling?
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​​What’s an average day like?
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​​What is their status?
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