Authentic Storytelling in #Branding #brand #storytelling Death Wish Coffee: From Garage to Shelves The Real Story: Mike Brown was running a small coffee shop in upstate New York, barely getting by. He created an extremely strong coffee for customers who complained regular coffee was too weak. He started selling it online from his garage, packing orders himself at night after working at the shop all day. The Authentic Sharing: Death Wish regularly shares photos and stories from those early garage days - Mike exhausted at 2 AM, packing orders, misspelling customer names on packages, running out of bags and using whatever he could find. They share emails from early customers, including complaints and mistakes they made. They won a Super Bowl ad contest but showed behind-the-scenes footage of their panic about having to produce a professional commercial with limited budget. They shared their fears, excitement, and the chaotic process - not just the polished final ad. Why Customers Love It: People feel like they've grown with the company. They remember when it was just Mike in his garage. The imperfections and struggles make the success story more meaningful. Customers feel invested in the journey because it was shared authentically.

When I was growing up, my parents ran a family restaurant. People came in for the food… But they came back for how we made them feel. The way my dad remembered their order without writing it down. The handwritten thank-you notes we slipped into takeout bags. The warmth and care they felt from the moment they walked in. That’s what made us memorable. And it still shapes how I think about branding today. Because when someone lands on your site or scrolls your feed, they’re not just asking “what do you offer?” They’re asking: ✨ Do I trust you? ✨ Do you get me? ✨ Do I feel something here? Most businesses try to stand out with a bold logo or clever tagline. But real differentiation happens through: ✅ Clear positioning ✅ Resonant messaging ✅ A consistent experience across every touchpoint Because your brand isn’t just what you say — It’s what people feel. And when you get that right? You stop blending in. You start building connection. And everything else starts to gain traction. #branding #brandstrategy #messaging #connectionmarketing #brandiD #smallbusinessowner #standoutonline #dreambig

Your brand doesn’t need more attributes. It needs a well-defined enemy. Every great story hinges on conflict. In your brand’s narrative, the villain isn’t your competitor. It’s the outdated belief, the hidden inefficiency, the pain your audience is fed up with. When you clearly define that villain, your brand steps into the hero role almost by default. Consider Dollar Shave Club. Their enemy wasn’t just the giant razor brands. It was the overpriced razor cartels and the frustrating shopping experience that came with them. They pitched themselves not as a “better razor,” but as a fight for fairness, convenience and value. Once you’ve defined the villain, you can shape everything else (your messaging, visual identity, offers) around becoming the solution to that problem. When your audience sees that you’re standing against something they hate and for something they believe in, they root for you. Who's the villain in your brand’s story? #PluggedInTribe #NeoMolefakgotla #BrandStory #StorytellingForBrands #BusinessNarrative #PersuasionMarketing #BrandHero

Your brand doesn’t need more attributes. It needs a well-defined enemy. Every great story hinges on conflict. In your brand’s narrative, the villain isn’t your competitor. It’s the outdated belief, the hidden inefficiency, the pain your audience is fed up with. When you clearly define that villain, your brand steps into the hero role almost by default. Consider Dollar Shave Club. Their enemy wasn’t just the giant razor brands. It was the overpriced razor cartels and the frustrating shopping experience that came with them. They pitched themselves not as a “better razor,” but as a fight for fairness, convenience and value. Once you’ve defined the villain, you can shape everything else (your messaging, visual identity, offers) around becoming the solution to that problem. When your audience sees that you’re standing against something they hate and for something they believe in, they root for you. Who's the villain in your brand’s story? #PluggedInTribe #NeoMolefakgotla #BrandStory #StorytellingForBrands #BusinessNarrative #PersuasionMarketing #BrandHero

✨ Why children’s stories still shape the grown-up world of advertising From The Snowman and The Gruffalo to the Mr Men, childhood characters continue to play starring roles in brand storytelling — decades after they first captured our imaginations. So what makes these familiar faces such enduring creative tools? It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia, emotional shorthand, and universal recognition — ingredients that help brands cut through today’s cluttered media world. Every festive season, when brands go in search of that heart-tugging moment, they often turn to the world of childhood. After all, few things evoke warmth quite like a familiar storybook face. But as our latest Creative Salon feature explores, this isn’t just sentimentality — it’s smart storytelling. Children’s characters offer brands ready-made emotional shorthand, bridging generations and reminding us why nostalgia remains one of advertising’s most powerful tools. 👀 Discover how timeless tales are being retold for a new generation — and what that says about the evolving language of advertising. Also read to find out the three things marketers should consider before signing off on a storybook strategy. Read the full story on Creative Salon: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eAHi_wP8 Jeremy Lee Sainsbury's Marks and Spencer Grey AMV BBDO New Commercial Arts. Asda McDonald's Boots UK Aldi UK adam&eveDDB Great Western Railway (GWR) #Advertising #Creativity #BrandStorytelling #Marketing #CreativeSalon

Our team at Oodle sees seasonal brands make the same mistake: They only show up during the season. Lawncare campaigns planned in March? Too late. Grilling content created in May? Already missed it. Hannah Brown and Riley Overman nail it below: Seasonal success is built 6–8 months out. Off-season storytelling (tutorials, UGC, brand trust) wins before media dollars ever hit. Creative readiness is what makes your ROAS and media mix actually work. If your story doesn’t resonate, your dollars will always work harder. The brands that win next season are already preparing now

We blinked and October is over! 🍂 This month, our everyday creators brought incredible campaigns to life — showing how authentic content can connect with real audiences in the aisles and online. 🤳 Brands our creators were loving ⤵️ Mingle Mocktails Olde Thompson, LLC Wild Sol Bobbie Little Saints Yes! Apples® Tano Skincare FryAway Co. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream + more! Curious how leveraging #everydaycreators could drive awareness for your brand #intheaisle? 📈 Check out our free guides — from Costco to Target, Walmart to Ulta — to see how easy it is to get started! 💡 https://hubs.la/Q03R6vDv0 #igreels #creatorplatform #everydaycreators #trending #ugccreators #octoberreccap

Last week, the videos from our Advertising Week New York panel went live. Here’s the moment where I shared how powerful scent recall truly is — lasting 65% accuracy after one year, compared to 50% after just three months for visuals alone. Scent is one of the most emotional forms of memory. When intentionally built into your brand strategy, it doesn’t just create connection — it drives performance. Studies show that brands integrating scent into their experiences see sales increase by up to 11% and brand recognition by over 80%. Scent isn’t an afterthought. It’s a brand asset — one that turns emotion into recall, and recall into conversion. Still grateful for this conversation and to have shared the stage with brilliant minds redefining how we experience brands through culture, creativity, and technology with Kaitlyn Barclay, Alex Wiltschko and Michele Smith. 🎥 From the “Smells Like Pop Culture” panel with Michele Smith from the Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), Alex Wiltschko  CEO Generation by Osmo, and Kaitlyn Barclay, founder of Scout Lab #Scentbranding #AdvertisingWeek #BrandStrategy #BrandExperience #CreativeLeadership #MultisensoryDesign #FragranceDesign #BrandStorytelling

How To Create Eye-Catching Merchandise! 👕 👀 Don’t waste prime space on products that no one wears or uses. Choose practical merchandise that fits your customers’ lifestyle golf towels, picnic blankets, or jackets for outdoor audiences. Design around the available space to communicate your message clearly and effectively. Design merch that people actually use. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gWNY35yA #promopunks #MarketingDesign #PracticalBranding #OutdoorMerch #CreativeBranding

When a brand goes off-script, everyone can tell. Taylor Swift told her followers to go watch Happy Gilmore 2. It made no sense. No alignment. No narrative. No reason. But she’s Taylor Swift. Her brand is so strong, she can afford to go off-script - and people still buy in. Most brands can’t. When you post something that doesn’t fit your story, your audience doesn’t see it as creative. They see it as confused. And confused brands don’t sell. I get it - the allure is there. We’ve made a few missteps ourselves (you can read more about that in our Inkfish CEO Insights series). That’s exactly why clarity matters. When you know who you are, what you stand for, and how you show up — every post, pitch, and campaign feels consistent. You stop chasing trends and start leading conversations. Because real influence isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being remembered for the right reasons. At Inkfish, that’s what we help brands build - consistency so strong that even when you surprise people, it still feels unmistakably you. #InkfishDigitalMarketing #BrandStrategy #MarketingAdviceNoOneAskedFor #BrandClarity #StayOnBrand #PositioningMatters #CEOInsights #BrandingThatSells #MarketingAdviceIdGiveMyFriend