1.
The Fundamentals of
Storytelling
& Creating an Audience
brand

2.
Nykea Behiel
Director of Marketing | Rock & Bloom

3.
WHOAMI?
An information junkie I went to Egypt and Morocco for my
honeymoon...while six months pregnant

4.
WHOAMI?
And…. I have the cutest baby in the world!

5.
WHOISROCK&BLOOM?

6.
After nourishment, shelter and companionship,
stories are the thing we need most in the world.
Philip Pullman

7.
Why Does It Matter?

8.
What’s the Difference?
Porsche Cayenne vs. VW Touareg

9.
What’s the Difference?
Brown Egg vs. White Egg

10.
What’s the Difference?
Van vs. SUV

11.
What’s the Difference?
Two Stars vs Five Stars

12.
Brand Storytelling

13.
Exercise:
The Story Test

14.
1. Tendon
2. Dinner
3. Cup
4. Outlet
5. Curry
6. Officer
7. Backyard
8. Dress
9. Hotel
10. Distance
Story Test
Exercise Answers
1. Explosion
2. Rollercoaster
3. Letter
4. Pig
5. Taco
6. House
7. Batteries
8. Peppercorn
9. Chalk
10. Brain

15.
1. Setting
2. Characters
3. Plot
4. Conflict
5. Theme
6. Story Arc
The Fundamentals of Story
And Then, Their Brand Counterparts

16.
SETTING

17.
The setting is the time and location in which your story takes place.
Settings can be very specific, but can also be more broad and
descriptive.
Setting
The Fundamentals of Storytelling
Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry,
1991-1998
A tired cabin in the woods,
nondescript time

18.
MARKET

19.
Understand the market where you’re conducting business. You can't be
all things to all people. Your field might be broad, but what is your niche?
Market
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
Engaged women;
wedding photography
Stay at home moms between the ages
of 26-45 that live within 20 miles of
Saskatoon with a median household
income of greater than $150K/year

20.
Exercise:
Define Your Market

21.
How to determine your target market:
● Age
● Location
● Gender
● Spending Power
Exercise: Write a statement that encompasses all of these.
Example: Stay at home moms between the ages of 26-45 that live within 20 miles of
Saskatoon with a median household income of greater than $150K/year.
Exercise: Define Your Market
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

22.
Speaking to everyone = speaking to no one
Whose opinion do you care most about?
What are your key business drivers and who is most inspired by them?
This can extend beyond customers (i.e. employees)
Can begin with broad segments or categories
Audiences and Segments

23.
Audience One Business travellers - young professionals
Audience Two Vacation goers - families and couples
Audience Three Westjet employees
Top Three Audiences

24.
Exercise:
Your Audiences

25.
Audience One
Audience Two
Audience Three
Top Three Audiences
your company!

26.
CHARACTERS

27.
Characters are vital to the development of the story; the plot
revolves around them. Central characters almost always include at
least a protagonist and an antagonist, and sometimes a narrator.
Characters
The Fundamentals of Storytelling

28.
Characters = Personas

29.
Why Personas?
● Convince 10% of people 100% of the way, not 100% of
people 10% of the way
● Focus your marketing efforts and spend, and speak the
language of our customers
● Identify the customer’s needs and wants so you can delight
them and earn their return business
● Make decisions based on the needs and wants of these
ideal personas
● Ensure that all activities involved in acquiring and serving
your customers are tailored to the targeted buyer’s needs.
● Show potential customers that you get them by addressing
their pain or need
● Keep you centered on the needs of your customers

30.
Role Reversal

31.
A client coming to you
is a statement about them,
not just you

32.
Your stories need to be about someone. They can be about you
and/or your clients. It’s often more effective to tell a compelling
story about the people you help. Possibility:
Narrator: You
Protagonist: Ideal client
Antagonist: Their challenge
Customer Personas
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

33.
Meet Hipster Halle
Halle is young and tragically hip. She lives and works in Riversdale,
and is an advocate for the neighbourhood.

34.
● Demographic and personal info
○ 29 years old
○ Single
○ Makes 70k/year
● Personality & Interests
○ Halle is a type four on the enneagram
○ She’s sensitive, expressive, dramatic, and self-absorbed
○ Halle knows she has a lot to offer, and is convinced her creativity is better than her
coworkers
○ Halle is an intense foodie, and prides herself on trying every new restaurant
shortly after it opens. And when she tries it, you can bet she has an opinion!
○ Halle has a tendency to avoid the boring things in her life, which often means
doing forms, taxes, and the mundane late
○ She is always busy and has many interests and hobbies
○ Some of her hobbies include traveling, design, yoga, painting, environmentalism,
and trying new activities
Hipster Halle

35.
● Values
○ Environmentally conscious
○ Values creativity and good design
● Job details
○ Senior graphic designer at a creative agency
● Brand Affinities
○ Reformation, Patagonia, Lululemon, Madewell, Oak & Fort, The Ordinary, Levis, Apple,
Whole Foods, Netflix, Nordstrom Rack, local brands
● Routines & Online Behaviours
○ Halle is constantly looking for knowledge and ways to improve herself
○ Consumes lots of online content, most through social media
○ Doesn’t have traditional media, but has multiple streaming platforms — Netflix, Crave,
Disney, Prime
○ Particular content hubs she likes: Creative Boom, The Design Blog, Oh She Glows, Goop,
Medium, Ad Age
○ Instagram is her primary social channel; she is also very active on Pinterest and has a
presence on Facebook, though it’s limited
Hipster Halle

36.
● Goals
○ Be healthy — lead an active lifestyle, eat well, and practice meditations
○ Be seen as a trendsetter
○ Have coworkers and bosses at her agency value her input
● Challenges
○ Moving towards less waste with packaging, food, etc.
○ Finding time to be her version of healthy
○ Create work that moves people and is successful
● Deterrents from our brand
○ Doesn’t want to be seen as part of a gentrification process — wants to be seen as part of
the solution, not the problem
● Quotes
○ “I love Riversdale. It’s a place in Saskatoon where I can experience many cultures and
perspectives. It’s inspirational in my design process.”
● Marketing Messages & Motivations
○ Highlight professional development and networking opportunities, or chances to
showcase her work and expertise
○ Illustrate how she is making an impact on the neighbourhood
Hipster Halle

37.
Customer Personas
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

38.
Customer Personas
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

39.
Great ways to get started:
● Look at your analytics. Your website and social platforms are a microcosm of who
you are attracting now
● Survey past clients to see why they chose you, what they liked best, etc.
● If possible, survey people who didn’t choose you — why did they go with
someone else? Do they fit your target demo?
● General market research
● Brainstorming your ideal
Customer Personas
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

40.
Exercise:
Customer Persona Draft

41.
Things to consider:
● Demographic info
● Personality and interests
● Values
● Job details
● Brand affinities
● Routines and online behaviours
● Common objections to your brand
● Goals
● Challenges
● Real quotes
● Marketing message that will best resonate
Exercise: Customer Persona Draft
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

42.
PLOT

43.
The plot is the sequence of events that connect the audience to the
protagonist and their ultimate goal.
Plot
The Fundamentals of Storytelling

44.
The aging patriarch of an organized
crime dynasty transfers control of
his clandestine empire to his
reluctant son.
Plot
Guess the Logline
[Main Character], while not intelligent,
has accidentally been present at many
historic moments, but his true love,
Jenny Curran, eludes him.
The Godfather Forrest Gump

45.
Exercise:
Write a Logline for Your Brand

46.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY &
MARKETING STRATEGY

47.
How you plan to achieve your goals. What tactics and mediums will
you use? Where is your core demo?
What are are all the touchpoints you have with customers?
Customer Journey & Marketing Strategy
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

48.
Customer Journey
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

49.
1. Provides a lens for
measuring sustainable
growth

50.
1. Provides a lens for
measuring
sustainable growth
2. Should correlate to
value delivered to
customers

51.
North Star:
# nights booked

52.
North Star:
# daily active users

53.
North Star:
# active drivers

54.
Monthly active users
Nights booked
Rides taken
Mesh With Your North Star

55.
Leading
Indicators
That which you can control.
Easy to influence, difficult
to define
Lagging
Indicators
That which you ultimately
want to achieve.
Easy to measure, difficult to
influence

56.
Leading
Indicators
That which you can control.
Easy to influence, difficult
to define
Lagging
Indicators
That which you ultimately
want to achieve.
Easy to measure, difficult to
influence

57.
Exercise:
Define Your North Star

58.
CONFLICT

59.
The conflict is what drives the story. It’s what creates tension and
builds suspense, which are the elements that make a story
interesting. If there’s no conflict, not only will the audience not care,
but there also won’t be any compelling story to tell.
Conflict
The Fundamentals of Storytelling
1. Person against person (The
Hunger Games)
2. Person against nature
(Jaws)
3. Person against self (A
Beautiful Mind)
4. Person against society
(The Handmaid’s Tale)
5. Person against the
Supernatural (The War of
the Worlds)
6. Person against technology
(The Matrix)

60.
THE PROBLEMS YOU
SOLVE

61.
What problem are you solving?
What are you trying to get your customer to do?

62.
Bad, irrelevant
search results.
Meeting people generally
only happened on
weekends, not seven
days a week.
Ill-fitting shoes

63.
Exercise:
What Problem Do You Solve?

64.
THEME

65.
The theme is what the story is really about. It’s the main idea or
underlying meaning. Often, it’s the storyteller’s personal opinion on
the subject matter. A story may have both a major theme and minor
themes.
Theme
The Fundamentals of Storytelling
One of the main themes in the
Titanic is perseverance

66.
USP &
BRAND
ARCHETYPE

67.
Unless you can pinpoint what makes your business unique in a world
of homogeneous competitors, you cannot target your sales efforts. A
business can peg its USP on one of the Four Ps of marketing: product
characteristics, price structure, placement strategy (location and
distribution) or promotional strategy.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

68.
For example, Charles Revson, founder of Revlon, always used to say
he sold hope, not makeup.
Some airlines sell friendly service, while others sell cheap flights.
Neiman Marcus sells luxury, while Wal-Mart sells bargains.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

69.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
We’re number two.
We try harder

70.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
World’s strongest coffee.

71.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
Melts in your mouth,
not in your hand.

72.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
We give a new pair of shoes to
a child in need for every pair
you purchase.

73.
Unique Selling Proposition
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
You get fresh, hot pizza
delivered to your door in 30
minutes or less or it's free.

74.
1. Put yourself in your customer's shoes
a. Step back from your daily operations and carefully scrutinize what
your customers really want
2. Know what motivates your customers' behavior and buying decisions
3. Uncover the real reasons customers buy your product instead of a
competitor's
a. Try a survey. Clear your mind of any preconceived ideas about your
product or service and be brutally honest
Unique Selling Proposition
Identifying Your USP

75.
Exercise:
Write Your USP

76.
Brand Archetypes
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
An archetype is a literary device in which a character is created
based on a set of qualities or traits that are specific and identifiable
for readers.

77.
Brand Archetypes
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
Archetypes are based on Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s theory that
humans have a basic tendency to use symbolism to understand
concepts. Jung identified 12 archetypes. Each archetype has its own
set of characteristics, values, attitudes and behaviors.
The advertising and marketing industry has applied that concept to
create brand archetypes.

78.
of our purchasing decisions are made in the
subconscious mind.
— Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman
95%

79.
Brand Archetypes
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
The
Innocent
The
Regular
Guy / Gal
The
Hero
The
Outlaw
The
Explorer
The
Creator
The
Ruler
The
Magician
The
Lover
The
Caregiver
The
Jester
The
Sage

80.
Brand Archetypes
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
The
Innocent
The
Regular
Guy / Gal
The
Hero
The
Outlaw
The
Explorer
The
Creator
The
Ruler
The
Magician
The
Lover
The
Caregiver
The
Jester
The
Sage
LIBERATION
POWER
MASTERY
INTIMACY ENJOYMENT
BELONGING
SERVICECONTROL
INNOVATIONSAFETY
UNDERSTANDING
FREEDOM

81.
Brand Archetypes
The Innocent
Goal: To be happy
Traits: Strives to be good, is pure, young, optimistic, simple, moral, romantic,
loyal
Drawback: Could be naïve or boring
Marketing niche: Companies with strong values, seen as trustworthy,
reliable and honest, associated with morality, good virtues, simplicity, often
nostalgic

82.
Brand Archetypes
The Regular Guy / Gal
Goal: To belong, or connect with others
Traits: Down to earth, supportive, faithful, folksy, person next door, connects
with others
Drawback: Can lack a distinctive identity and blend in too much
Marketing niche: Common touch, solid virtues, gives a sense of belonging

83.
Brand Archetypes
The Hero
Goal: Help to improve the world
Traits: Courageous, bold, honorable, strong, confident, inspirational
Drawback: Can be arrogant or aloof
Marketing niche: Make a positive mark on the world, solve major problems
or enable/inspire others to do so

84.
Brand Archetypes
The Outlaw
Goal: Break the rules and fight authority
Traits: Rebellious, iconoclastic, wild, paving the way for change
Drawback: Could take it too far and be seen in a negative way
Marketing niche: Agent of change, advocate for the disenfranchised, allow
people to vent or break with conventions

85.
Brand Archetypes
The Explorer
Goal: Finds fulfillment through discovery and new experiences
Traits: Restless, adventurous, ambitious, individualistic, independent,
pioneering
Drawback: Might not fit into the mainstream
Marketing niche: Exciting, risk-taking, authentic

86.
Brand Archetypes
The Creator
Goal: Create something with meaning and enduring value
Traits: Creative, imaginative, artistic, inventive, entrepreneur,
non-conformist
Drawback: Could be perfectionistic or impractical
Marketing niche: Visionary, help customers express or create, and foster
their imagination

87.
Brand Archetypes
The Ruler
Goal: Control, create order from chaos
Traits: Leader, responsible, organized, role model, administrator
Drawback: Can lack a common connection, or be too authoritative or
controlling
Marketing niche: Help people become more organized, restore order,
create more stability and security in a chaotic world

88.
Brand Archetypes
The Magician
Goal: Make dreams come true, create something special
Traits: Visionary, charismatic, imaginative, idealistic, spiritual
Drawback: Could take risks that lead to bad outcomes
Marketing niche: Help people transform their world, inspire change, expand
consciousness

89.
Brand Archetypes
The Lover
Goal: Create intimacy, inspire love
Traits: Passionate, sensual, intimate, romantic, warm, committed, idealistic
Drawback: Could be too selfless or not grounded enough
Marketing niche: Help people feel appreciated, belong, connect, enjoy
intimacy, build relationships

90.
Brand Archetypes
The Caregiver
Goal: To care for and protect others
Traits: Caring, maternal, nurturing, selfless, generous, compassionate
Drawback: Being taken advantage of, taken for granted, or exploited
Marketing niche: Help people care for themselves, serve the public through
health care, education or aid programs

91.
Brand Archetypes
The Jester
Goal: To bring joy to the world
Traits: Fun, sense of humor, light-hearted, mischievous, irreverent
Drawback: Could be seen as frivolous or disrespectful
Marketing niche: Help people have a good time or enjoy what they are
doing, allow people to be more impulsive and spontaneous

92.
Brand Archetypes
The Sage
Goal: To help the world gain wisdom and insight
Traits: Knowledgeable, trusted source of information, wisdom and
intelligence, thoughtful, analytical, mentor, guru, advisor
Drawback: Could be overly contemplative or too opinionated
Marketing niche: Help people to better understand the world, provide
practical information and analysis

93.
Exercise:
Which Archetype Are You?

94.
STORY ARC

95.
Story Arc

96.
A strong story plot has a narrative arc that has four required elements of its own.
1. Setup: The world in which the protagonist exists prior to the journey. The setup
usually ends with the conflict being revealed.
2. Rising Tension: The series of obstacles the protagonist must overcome. Each
obstacle is usually more difficult and with higher stakes than the previous one.
3. Climax: The point of highest tension, and the major decisive turning point for the
protagonist.
4. Resolution: The conflict’s conclusion. This is where the protagonist finally
overcomes the conflict, learns to accept it, or is ultimately defeated by it.
Story Arc
The Fundamentals of Storytelling

97.
Telling Your Story

98.
● How do you describe your business?
● Can you do it in less than 40 words?
● Would your entire team say it the same way?
● Would your customers say it the same way?
Key Messaging
The Fundamentals of Storytelling

99.
Story Arc
The Fundamentals of Storytelling

100.
TIPS FOR
TELLING GOOD
STORIES

101.
BE
AUTHENTIC

102.
Customers may say they want the best product, and
that they want it at the best price. While that is true,
what they want most is authenticity.

103.
PINE VIEW
FARMS

104.
BE CREATIVE

105.
SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF
YOUR CUSTOMERS

106.
BE CONSISTENT

107.
● Consistency builds trust
● Purchasing is more an emotional decision than a practical one
○ First contact isn’t always first impression
● Every encounter should count, be positive, and in brand voice
○ Website, ads, social, sales, blog, phone, webinar, etc.
● Consistency makes you recognizable and trustworthy
● Give your customers what they expect
Provide a Consistent Customer Experience

108.
A brand doesn’t have a story

109.
They Have Many Stories

110.
You need to tell many hyper specific
stories to stay relevant.

111.
Telling Your Story
Hook Problem Resolution CTA

112.
1. Hook
a. Why should they care? Grab attention right away.
2. Problem
a. Explain the problem you are solving
3. Resolution
a. Explain how you solve that problem
4. CTA
a. At the end of each story should be a call-to-action. On something like an
Instagram post, this can be implicit. On a website or blog, it should be
explicit — likely an actual button
Telling Your Story
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

113.
1. Setting
2. Characters
3. Plot
4. Conflict
5. Theme
6. Story Arc
The Fundamentals of Brand
Storytelling
1. Market
2. Customer Personas & Your Brand
3. Marketing Strategy / Customer Journey
4. Problem(s) you Solve
5. USP & Brand Archetype
6. Telling Your Story
Storytelling
Brand Storytelling

114.
FINALLY

115.
-37°C and -38°C
What’s The Difference?

116.
What’s The Difference?
-37°C and -38°C
27°C and 28°C

117.
-37°C and -38°C
27°C and 28°C
3°C and 2 °C
What’s The Difference?

118.
-37°C and -38°C
27°C and 28°C
3°C and 2 °C
What’s The Difference?

119.
You can differentiate your brand.
You can relate to your audience.
You can understand your why.
Tell stories
that matter.

120.
CREDITS: This presentation template was created
by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and
infographics & images by Freepik
THANKS!
Please keep this slide for attribution
MANY
nykea@rockandbloom.com
rockandbloom.com
Thank you so much for your time!

121.
● The Power of Brand Storytelling (Research
Slideshare)
● The Science Behind Storytelling
● 11 Companies That Are Killing It With
Brand-Driven Storytelling
● Here's what Volkswagen did and how it got
caught
● 15 Brilliant Examples Of Visual Storytelling On
Instagram
● Stories from the Airbnb Community
● Julia Galef, Why You Think You’re Right, Even
When You’re Wrong
Resources
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling
● Seth Godin, All Marketers Are Liars
● Seth Godin, Linchpin
● Terry O’Reilly, Under the Influence
● Malcom Gladwell, The Tipping Point
● Martin Lindstrom, Buyology
● Invisibilia, This American Life and Radiolab
● Michael Brenner, Marketing Insider Group
● Inbound conference
● Content Marketing Institute
● Brene Brown (multiple books)

122.
Similar to a plot, your story has to have elements that captivate a viewer.
1. Hook
a. Why should they care? Grab attention right away.
2. Problem
a. Explain the problem you are solving
3. Resolution
a. Explain how you solve that problem
4. CTA
a. At the end of each story should be a call-to-action. On something like an
Instagram post, this can be implicit. On a website or blog, it should be
explicit — likely am actual button
Telling Your Story
The Fundamentals of Brand Storytelling

123.
Free tools

124.
If This, Then That (IFTT)

125.
Coschedule headline analyzer tool
Only 62% of
people who click
into an article
end up reading
past the headline

126.
Writing/research Google Drive

127.
Canva

128.
HTML Color Codes

129.
Dafont

130.
Email Hunter

131.
Hey Press

132.
Make a Meme

133.
Reading List

134.
Free Vector and Vector Arts

135.
Vennage and Infogram

136.
Hemingway App

137.
Word clouds

138.
Yoast

139.
SEO Quake

140.
HARO

141.
SEM Rush