“To be a person is to have a story to tell.” ~ Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), author of Out of Africa and other novels
Here’s the truth—humans want and need products and services. It’s a basic, primal drive, this instinctive urge to engage in tool making and hunting-gathering. From our ancient ancestors to our digital lives today, these deep instincts ensure we’re always on the lookout for something external that will help us live better, happier lives.
The big question of branding in today’s market environment is: How do you set your product apart from everybody else’s so that when people think of that product they’ll buy yours—even if it costs more? Getting people to choose YOU requires brand trust. In Building Billion Dollar Brands, the book I co-authored with longtime associate Barb Westfield, we shared five key strategies for building winning brands, the first of which lays the foundational bricks for the user’s overall experience—your authentic backstory.
Your Unique Selling Proposition
The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a marketing concept from the 1940s that explained a pattern in successful advertising campaigns that drove customers to switch brands. A business with a strong USP stands out from the rest—not necessarily because it offers one-of-a-kind products, but because the products it offers are different from the rest. Your authentic origin story is what helps make your products stand out from the crowd. It’s what you are known for. And it’s what builds winning brands.
Puriya: Mother of All Creams
When Jill and Yi-Jen contacted me almost two years ago, they had a powerful product line, but very little brand awareness. Their marketing strategy for their plant-based skin creams, Puriya, was focused on the features of the cream’s natural ingredients. Having had some success over the years with products that featured plant-based ingredients, I was intrigued. But I was even more excited about the product’s selling potential once I heard their story.
From Obscurity to Winner’s Circle
Growing up in Taiwan, Jill and Yi-Jen used the power of plants every day. Their mother and grandmother had a botanical recipe for almost every ailment, and they grew up learning to look to nature first. When they moved to the United States, their mother was no longer there to simmer up potions and pastes the traditional way. The girls had to take care of themselves the “American way.” When Jill needed medical treatment for a skin condition, she was shocked by the ingredients in her medications—drugs with 25-character ingredients that neither she nor Yi-Jen could pronounce. And no natural options available.
Fast forward a few years and the sisters got to thinking, “What if our love of nature and our Mother’s knowledge from home might help us find the solution to our own medical issues?” Despite their busy lives, they used every bit of spare time testing and researching natural, plant-based ingredients. By combining their educational backgrounds in science and research, with their passion to help others, they started to make progress.
They discovered that most of the hydrating creams and lotions used far too many bad chemicals. They had a small batch of their own cream manufactured, using their own unique formulation, and they tested it on themselves with great results. They also gave it to their close friends and family. They all loved it too!
They decided to name it “The Mother of All Creams” as an homage to their Mother and Grandmother. Since launching the product, along with their origin story, Puriya has sold hundreds of thousands of units and was recently awarded the Family Tested, Family Approved seal of approval, sponsored by ptpa.com. To learn more go to https://www.puriya.com.
4 Key Considerations for Crafting Your Origin Story
When you share your own authentic real-life story, you make a powerful connection with your audience that can help build loyalty and trust, differentiate yourself from the competition, and grow your brand. Nailing this story—and sharing it on video—allows it to be told and retold—a critical advantage in today’s digital marketplace.
Here’s how:
- Authenticity. This is a flavor that never goes out of fashion, but that’s never stopped branders from veering from it, always to their detriment. Fake testimonials may tempt you, but ultimately, when the truth comes out, any hope of conveying authenticity about your brand may be gone for good.
- Honesty. How can you build consumer trust without honesty? Remember the classic case in which the FTC exposed Campbell’s Soups for false advertising? Campbell’s was using clear marbles in the steaming bowl of soup they photographed for ads, creating the effect that the bowl was chock-full of noodles and chicken, when in fact, you’d normally see mostly broth. That’s the kind of damage your brand may never be able to survive.
- Credibility. What makes people believe your advertising claims? Listening to third-party experts or other consumers who trust and talk about the product benefits lends credibility to your brand. Back when I was doing seminars for Juiceman, the American Cancer Society had a poster that said, “Eat your fruits and vegetables.” We’d bring that poster around to our seminars, and we’d tell people that juicing was a great way to get more fruits and vegetables into their diet. “Don’t believe us!” we’d say, “Believe the American Cancer Society.”
- Community. Turn a consumer into a brand ambassador by creating a tribe people want to be a part of. Smart sellers don’t miss an opportunity to create the experience of belonging for their customers. From the handwritten thank-you card that’s shipped with the product to the follow-up email with a personalized “We hope you love it!” message, you are building brand community by showing you care.
Lastly, once you find your origin story, share it broadly—across every one of your marketing channels, with emphasis on using video whenever you can. It’s proven that people will watch and retain the information better from watching video than from reading text. Plus, people share video with their friends, creating the coveted viral effect.
Your story is your connection to your customer base, and that base will grow with you (and it will expand) because of the loyalty your story fosters. Start telling it now!
FREE BONUS!
To get more great video marketing information, please visit my website at rickcesari.com and you can download, for free, my e-book on the three most effective types of online content. I go into great depth explaining this information, how to create it, and hot it can benefit you.
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