Branding your business through storytelling
Setting the scene
“I am often asked, ‘Why muesli’? Well, it was 1992, and I was a student. My part-time job was making homemade muesli…I would grind the nuts, mix the warm honey and cinnamon through oats before roasting them until golden. It smelt amazing!”
Some of you may recognise the quote above as the words of Carolyn Cresswell, company founder of Carman’s Muesli. I got her words off the back of the packet. Now, the muesli/breakfast cereal/snack bar market must be one of the most crowded there is. How does a small business start-up, working from their kitchen, even begin to compete?
By telling an engaging, credible story that helps customers get a feel for the company ethos.
Telling the tale
Now, I’m not suggesting that this is foolproof. Or that story is the only element of branding – there are many – but chances are if you remember anything about a small business brand, it’s because you’ve heard a story about it. In the case of Nad’s, for example, you may recall hearing about the founder, Nadia, who couldn’t find a product that could cope with her daughters’ depilatory needs, so she created one herself. Or Nudie juice – ever read the back of their juice bottles? Pure genius. They’re using storytelling to create a brand.
Even big companies benefit. While the minutiae of Richard Branson’s personal life is neither here nor there, it’s arguably the story of who he is and how he made it big that helped established the Virgin brand – more of a cult, really – in the first place.
Building to the climax
Getting back to muesli. One of the things I love about Carman’s is how the story progresses. At first you read about how the founder took over the business she was working in. “One day I was told that I was going to lose my job as the business was to be sold. A little voice inside my head said, ‘You could buy this small business. You love the muesli and you make it already!’ That night I went home and discussed it with my parents…my offer of $1000 for the business was accepted…I made deliveries before morning lectures and balanced the books during lunchtime.”
The next ‘chapter’ tells you a little bit more: “As a mother of two young children, my passion for real food with real ingredients and nothing artificial is stronger than ever.”
Writing the sequel
As the range expands, the story continues: “I remember when I was growing grew up, my Grandpa would always make porridge for breakfast.” Thus begins the blurb on the back of Carman’s Oats.
I love it. As a small business owner myself, hearing the stories of other women, and how and why they started out in business helps builds credibility in my mind; I find it easier to trust someone who says they care about the environment and what goes into the food they eat because they have two children of their own. I just know (or at least I have a pretty strong feeling) that if I rang the company for any reason, I would get to speak to a human being who would listen to me and deal with my issue.
A surefire bestseller!
You may not have the big bucks for a logo, or to hire a PR flack, or to splash your name on the billboard in Times Square – but you can tell your story on packaging and your website, in order to generate buzz in the local press. And that may just help your business become a bestseller…
This article first appeared in herBusinessNews Spring issue
