Brand narrative vs. elevator pitch
October 31, 2011 —
Here’s the simple (but profound) difference:
Your “elevator pitch” is what you say to a prospect to explain your brand.
Your brand narrative is what your prospects say about you.
Since both take less time than an elevator ride, people tend to confuse the two. The first, however, is aspirational and usually includes two tablespoons of wishful thinking, but the latter is a reality.
Knowing what your customers think, and why, is relatively easy. Knowing what your prospects think, and why, is hard work, requiring research, creative listening, insight, and testing. Only then can you move the narrative from “I know that brand” to “I like it” to “I need it” to “I have to own it” to “I’m glad I bought it and you would be, too.”
Our role? Well, we like to hear, and help you rewrite, your elevator pitch, but our real value is improving your brand narrative. How can we help you?
This is a helpful distinction, but sometimes where we get lost is that we live in the professional service world and not the product world. It’s sometimes hard that in professional service, people become attached to a person, not a company and it can be difficult to brand the company – especially if it is a small business with less than 10 employees and if the sign bears a name of a person people loved, but is now retired. We run into this all the time with our clients as we do business valuation/brokerage and some quick turn around marketing strategies.
Posted by Cara Carson on Oct 31, 2011 at 10:28 am
I’m curious how, if the brand narrative lives in the minds of others, does your company improve a client’s brand narrative? It would seem impossible. There are chances for every company to impress customers and win loyal brand fans, but the choice is not for the company to make.
Posted by Marc Jordan Paxton on Nov 1, 2011 at 10:36 am
I see what Cara sees also, in a company that markets both products and services to its clients. Relationship becomes a factor in both aspects of branding, as does the culture of the providing business. Trust between client and provider becomes essential to your customer relationship – and their testimony and word-of-mouth becomes essential to your effective reach into the prospect community.
Posted by Kathy Karner on Nov 1, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Excellent and simple distinction. As with most things in marketing getting simple has harder than it seems.
Another way to put it is “Elevator Pitch is What You Want to Be” versus “Brand narrative is what you have become”. Your brand is a reflection of how you behave and service your customers (pricing, sales approach, services, support, etc.). How close these two reflect how well you execute your strategy.
I did related post on brand, versus positioning, etc.
http://wp.me/piOvI-3
Posted by Brian Hodgson on Nov 1, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Marc:
It is possible to influence prospects in ways that improve perception and brand narrative – but you can’t control it, or assume that what you say is what they hear or believe.
In short, branding ain’t easy.
Posted by Bob on Nov 1, 2011 at 5:14 pm
No kidding! I’m working on branding for a start-up salsa company, and the issues we’re facing are daunting!
Posted by Marc Jordan Paxton on Nov 1, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Influencing your brand narrative takes a lot of effort, it happens over time and it requires constant maintenance. Shifting the way a business is perceived in the minds of others does not happen with one campaign.
All organizations, even service industries, have the power to affect they way prospects collectively see them. It takes strategy and patience. Make sure your brand is clearly defined internally and make sure it is delivered at every prospect and client touch point by every employee. Branding does not happen just in the market promotion and sales phases but through product or service delivery, through support and back, full circle, to new product development and promotion.
I know as a consumer, I appreciate consistency from a company. I want the same quality service from the person that supports me as I received from the person that sold me on the company in the first place.
I agree with Bob. “It ain’t easy.” But when we see the results from a strong, consistent approach, it can be so much fun.
Posted by Lynnette Alban on Nov 2, 2011 at 9:35 am
Well said.
Posted by Bob on Nov 2, 2011 at 1:27 pm
It might be semantics but I like to use the term “Value Proposition” for elevator speech. It should answer the question “why should i buy from you?” As for brand narrative, it is really position – or how the brand is perceived in the market place.
Posted by tmonda on Nov 2, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I like this distinction.
Posted by Kathy Karner on Nov 3, 2011 at 11:48 am
[...] on it. Brands are built on how to deal with customers, Killian Branding has an excellent, succinct post on this. There is also an comprehensive article from Marketing Profs on spreading customer [...]
Posted by Kindle Customer Service – Battling for Brand Loyalty « FivePond on Nov 29, 2011 at 7:11 pm