Here’s a counter-intuitive idea: Great business to business brands know something essential about story that many B2C brands could benefit from learning. I know. I
The best story in the world won’t help your brand for long if you don’t offer something great that your audience needs. So, am I
One of the difficulties in telling an ongoing story, whether for a brand, a long-running TV series, or movie franchise, is keeping things interesting, relevant,
We’re launching a new thing today that we’re calling Character Campfire stories. For almost 25 years now, we’ve been running Character Camps to help brand
We were helping a brand team work through how to use their story framework on the final day of Character Camp. “Using the conflict is
“If you’re done digesting, it’s time to start thinking about Christmas presents,” Maria announced Friday morning, as I was making coffee. “Again?” I whined. “Already?”
So much has already been said about the Bud Light issue I’d decided I wasn’t going to write about it. But then I was watching
Conflict is an engagement engine. I’m not saying people like conflict. Most don’t. But it does capture and compel our attention. That’s why conflict is
“You’re wrong, Jim,” my friend Jim said as he bit the head off of a Santa-shaped and frosted Christmas cookie. Jim is kind of a
“You’ve noticed what’s going on with Macy’s story?” Sara asked me. You remember Sara. We work together. She does jujitsu. “How they forgot to put
“Character gets to the heart of what good storytelling is all about. They’ve helped Wendy’s focus on what makes us unique, different and special and that’s helped us to get people’s attention, keep their interest and keep the business growing. We compete with much larger brands, but by being overt about how we want to attack those differences, we’ve been able to have a lot of tension and conflict in the story that we are telling. That allows us to keep the story fresh and to fuel it. The more we do that the more positive attention we get as a brand and the more the brand continues to grow, which, in turn, builds our confidence in our storytelling and keeps the courage level high.”
—Kurt Kane, President U.S. & Chief Commercial Officer, Wendy’s Corporation
“I’ve been through Character’s story framework process four times in my career, and it has always added extraordinary value. It was a central piece of Walmart’s rebranding effort in 2006, as we sought a new articulation of our brand narrative and our purpose. It’s an equally powerful tool for us now, as Walmart defines its place in a rapidly transforming retail environment. And we are currently using it to do the same for Sam’s Club.”
—Tony Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart
“Character’s approach to brand building is unlike any other in the business. Jim and his team use the timeless truths of human storytelling to unlock story potential and connect deeply with brand audiences. I’ve worked with Character throughout my career, and my experience with Tabasco was as fascinating, inspiring, and productive as ever.
Character worked with our team not only to help us re-examine and re-articulate the elemental truths of our iconic global brand but also to develop and apply practical tools that make the brand story framework user-friendly for our entire organization.
I whole-heartedly recommend Character to any brand marketer who is looking to make intuitive and durable connections with their consumer.”
Lee Susen, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Tabasco / McIlhenny Company