A brand’s story is one of its most important attributes, but one that is often overlooked. Luxury brands must have a clear idea of what lies at the core of their business to win loyalty and connect with their customers on a deep level.
Your brand story isn’t just your history or a paragraph about your founders, and goes further than your website copy or an ad. Instead, it’s the cohesive narrative that lies right at the heart of your company: a mix of what you do, how you do it and why you do it. Because of this, a brand story should influence every aspect of how you do business, from the words you use to tell your story to your logo, website design, how you hire and answer the phone. It is a driver to your business, sending out a clear, consistent message that reinforces who you are in different ways – and influences what people think about you and why they should buy from you.
Why luxury brands need a unique story
Many brands are interchangeable. Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffè Nero all sell the same product. But what makes you choose one over the other? What they stand for, how they operate and how they make you feel.
Apple does it brilliantly. As a premium brand that charges more for their products than other computer companies, it has built a following more along the lines of a church than a consumer brand. Their entire brand is based on great design and simplicity: two basic premises that are replicated in everything they do from packaging and product design through to how they serve you and the store experience. A very simple brand story, but one that clearly resonates with the market.