Be The Guide To The Hero
A interview with Seth Godin, the grandfather of marketing, highlighted the difference between branding and a logo.
“If nike opened a hotel, you could expect what the hotel would be like. But if Hyatt opened a clothing line, you wouldn’t know what it is like. Because Nike is a brand, and Hyatt is a logo.”
A great book provides the antidote to this problem, and explains how the great brands create a desire in their clients.
The book, Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller, speaks about branding as if the messaging were the narrative of the company. You have your protagonist, and then you have your guide.
Most companies start out thinking they are the protagonist in the story. THEY are the ideal that their customers are trying to achieve. Slap their logo on the product, and it’ll sell - they will become the brand! Which is what the customer wants, right?
But this book turns that idea on its head. They say you should be the guide.
Being the Yoda to Luke Skywalker. Yoda is telling Luke how to use the force. He shows him how to tap into the power that the force can have, so that he can use it himself.
This is the role of the guide - explain the journey that your target market is on, showcase the problems they might have along the way, and share how your product can solve those problems so they can get along on their journey.
We see this in so many places. Apple is the engine behind each person’s creativity. Nike is the attire that the most high-performing athletes use. Tesla is the high-tech exec’s chariot to get to that meeting, while saving the world. Gibson is that guitar to bring your musical talent to the world. Disney is that dress to make a girl’s fairytail dreams come true. Canyon is that bike to help you win that race.