Learning how to tell your brand story is essential in establishing a deeper connection with your audience — the kind that creates customers-for-life. You may not know the humble beginnings of these billion-dollar companies…but you probably have their apps on your phone.
Let’s take a trip down a gold-paved memory lane to see how tech giants can help tell your brand journey.
Brand Story #1: It’s 1997…
A future founder is fined by Blockbuster & wants to find a way to avoid late fees for DVD rentals.
Netflix’s 2025 Valuation: $500 Billion
Alternate Reality: Blockbuster waived the late fees and we never see Stranger Things.
Brand Story #2: It’s 2008…
Two future founders rent out air mattresses in their San Francisco apartment — to pay for their own rent!
Airbnb’s 2025 Valuation: $101 Billion
Alternate Reality: Their landlord relaxed the prices and we continue staying in overpriced mid-range hotels for every city break.
Brand Story #3: It’s 2009…
Two future founders attend a conference in Paris and become frustrated when they can’t find a cab.
Uber’s 2025 Valuation: $191 Billion
Alternate Reality: A French passerby gave them a lift in his car and the entirety of Gen Z needs to learn how to drive.
One start-up’s brand journey went from a couple of dollars in late fines to a half-trillion valuation.
Why these brand stories connected
These startups’ origin tales helped secure the funding that turned them into household names.
They saw a problem that needed to be solved and they fixed it – on a global scale.
Anyone can relate with the challenges they were facing — and anyone can now use their services to overcome them.
You may have similarly titanic ambitions for your business, or you may prefer to focus on a smaller niche. Either way, learning how to tell your brand journey in a way that engages your audience is the key to unlocking the type of loyalty that lasts for years decades.
Learn from these giants. Share your story, your meaning, your why.
Brand Origin Checklist
Let your audience know about the beginning of your brand — be candid, focus on the ‘human elements’ and you’ll be surprised at how many people will relate.
⚡ When was the exact moment you decided to start your biz?
⚡ Were you trying to solve a problem?
⚡ Or do you have a passion for your industry? If so, why?
⚡ Why did you choose this particular name?
Brand Journey Checklist
Show them how you got from back then to where you are now — and why this path has helped forge the kickass business that you have today!
⚡ Did anyone try to stop you from taking this path?
⚡ What challenges have strengthened your business?
⚡ Do you have images & videos from the very early days?
⚡ How can I easily discover all of this information?
Why telling your brand story is so damn important
Customers buy more than products & services. They buy your brand. Are you letting them in?
Could they recommend you to their friends with more than just, “Oh, they sell this…”?
Could they tell a story about your brand, add their own opinions and maybe even tie it into a lived experience of their own?
Think about your favourite brands — the ones who return to again and again and again. You probably know more about them than just the product or service that they deliver. You could switch to a competitor but…
This is the subconscious reason why you keep going back. You’ve bought into their brand.
How to begin telling your brand story
Ready to let your audience in on all of the ups, downs and oh-wow-my-head-is-spinning-round-and-rounds of your brand journey?
Your website’s About page is the perfect place to begin.
And if you need a little help…
We tell stories for a living. Talk to us about how your business started…
So we can help shout it from the rooftops.
