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Building A StoryBrand - Donald Miller
Building A StoryBrand - Donald Miller
Building A StoryBrand - Donald Miller
from Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
“In a story, audiences must always know who the hero is, what the hero wants, who the hero has to defeat to
get what they want, what tragic thing will happen if the hero doesn’t win, and what wonderful thing will
happen if they do. If an audience can’t answer these basic questions, they’ll check out and the movie will lose
millions at the box office.” – Donald Miller
When marketing your personal brand, your startup, or the business you’re working for, capture your
customer’s attention by answering four basic story questions.
Who is the hero?
“Your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand. This is the secret every phenomenally successful
business understands.” – Donald Miller
Your role as a marketer is to act as a guide in your customer’s story (you’re Yoda, and your customer is Luke
Skywalker). Talk more about the customer and less about yourself. If you talk about your backstory, your goals, and
your achievements, your customer won’t feel like a hero.
What does the hero want?
You should be able to pause a great film after the first ten minutes and know exactly what the hero wants.
At the beginning of Star Wars, Luke wants to avenge the death of his aunt and uncle.
At the beginning of The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne wants to know his true identity.
“If The Bourne Identity were a movie about a spy named Jason Bourne searching for his true identity, but it also
included scenes of Bourne trying to lose weight, marry a girl, pass the bar exam, win on Jeopardy, and adopt a
cat…The audience would lose interest.” – Donald Miller
Craft your marketing messages around ONE THING your customer wants from your brand. What one result can you guide your customer
toward? Here are a few examples from the book:
Landscaping business: "We help make your yard look better than your neighbors."
College alumni association: "We’ll help you leave a meaningful legacy."
When you clarify your marketing around one desire, you invite your customer into a story by getting them to think, "How will they get me
what I want?"
Who does the hero have to defeat?
How exciting would Harry Potter be without Voldemort? How entertaining would Star Wars be without Darth Vader?
How engaging would Rocky IV be without the big, bad Russian?
“If we want our customers’ ears to perk up when we talk about our products and services, we should position
those products and services as weapons they can use to defeat a villain. And the villain should be dastardly.” –
Donald Miller
If you offer time management software, make distractions the villain ‐ personify distractions as evil bank robbers with masks, robbing your
customers’ time and killing their entrepreneurial dreams.
By personifying and clarifying a villain and positioning your business as a tool to defeat that villain, your customer will feel like a hero who's
ready to rise to the challenge.
What tragic thing will happen if the hero doesn’t win?
If Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Frodo don't defeat their villain, an evil force will enslave the world (or galaxy)
…there’s a lot at stake.
To make your marketing stories engaging, talk about the stakes – what is the cost of NOT doing business with you?
Wendy's did this with their, "Where's the beef?" marketing campaign. Wendy's wanted you to know that if you didn’t
choose Wendy’s to satisfy your hamburger craving, you'd be stuck with an unsatisfying hamburger from another fast
food restaurant.
Clarifying what will happen if your hero doesn’t act is a powerful story tactic, but use it carefully. Adding fear to your message is like adding
salt to your meal. Without it, your message is bland, but too much of it and your message is off‐putting. Including just a dash of fear makes
your message a compelling story your customer wants to be a part of.
“Never assume people understand how your brand can change their lives. Tell them.” – Donald Miller
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