welcome to the new lore co. blog
I’m Olimpia Martinotti, founder of New Lore — A content strategy agency that is rooted in the mind’s insatiable hunger for compelling stories.
With a background in molecular biology and award-winning fiction writing, I’ve helped corporations and small entrepreneurs alike ignite their brands using the incredible power of narratives. Are you telling the right ones?
Living Your Brand Story: Aligning Narratives with Actions
In the dynamic world of branding and storytelling, one universal truth stands unwavering: authenticity reigns supreme. Your brand isn’t just conveyed through words or images; it’s a lived experience. It’s not only the story you tell but, more importantly, the story you live. Just as plot is character in action, your brand narrative strategy must also be how your brand moves through the world.
The Essence of Authenticity
At the core of a powerful brand is authenticity, the foundation upon which trust is built. When your brand’s actions align with its story, it resonates profoundly with your audience. It’s more than a narrative; it’s a promise kept, a commitment honored.
Example: Patagonia
Consider the renowned outdoor clothing company, Patagonia. Their brand story is deeply rooted in a love for the planet and a commitment to environmental stewardship. What sets them apart is their unwavering dedication to this cause in every action they take. For example, their self-imposed tax, 1% for the Planet, is how they fuel environmental nonprofits that are working to clean, preserve, and/or restore our forests, waters, and skies.
“Patagonia has an employee engagement strategy that promotes a sustainability-focused culture,” says change oracle, highlighting how their mission for sustainability permeates every aspect of the business, even down to their employee culture. This is important a little further for a different reason.
The Role of Brand Archetypes
Brand archetypes play a pivotal role in shaping your brand’s personality and guiding its actions. These archetypes, such as the Hero, the Explorer, or the Caregiver, determine how your brand interacts with the world. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that your chosen archetype aligns with your brand’s actual actions. It must be easily livable, in a way that comes naturally (or with at least minimal resistance.)
Example – The Aspiring Innovator
We had a client, a 100-year-old corporation, that currently employs 16,000 people working with us on a Narrative Strategy. As all corporations of this size and scale often do, their internal processes for change move at a glacial pace, typically to the eternal frustration of their employees. Good ideas never went far, as soon employees stopped bothering to recommend them.
But this brand genuinely felt that one of their archetypes was the Innovator because of their visionary founder a century ago and their origins. Therefore, we advised them that we could certainly include the Innovator as what I call an aspirational archetype, but that they must update their internal processes to live up to it. So employees can share innovative ideas and feel that there is a speedy system of review and potential implementation.
The Innovator archetype must be realistically achievable and livable, even if it’s aspirational. Their answer was to create an internal app where employees upload proposals and ideas, ideas are voted on by peers, and a quick process exists to implement new ideas for testing. Instant success among their staff!
The Consequences of Inauthenticity
On the flip side, when your brand story and actions don’t align, the consequences can be severe. Inauthenticity erodes trust and damages your brand’s reputation. Customers today are discerning; they can spot a disconnect between words and deeds a mile away.
However, it’s not just your audience and customers that you must be mindful of! Because as a brand, your employees can be either fellow storytellers that support and carry your story forward or they can be in-house enemies, eager to tell their social circle how false your story (or worse, “virtue signaling”) is in truth. And as internal members of your team, a bad word from them carries a lot of weight.
If you don’t believe that, look no further to the damage that terrible stories from Amazon’s 1.5 million employees have done to their reputation. Amazon has 1.5 million potential partners in their story to “Work Hard. Have Fun. Make History” or bitter whistleblowers blowing holes in the story Amazon wants to tell.
Example: Volkswagen – A Cautionary Tale
Volkswagen’s emissions scandal serves as a cautionary tale of what can happen when a brand’s actions betray its narrative. If you aren’t familiar with that story, the brand positioned itself as environmentally friendly but was found to have intentionally manipulated emissions tests in their diesel vehicles sold in the United States and other parts of the world. The consequences were extensive, the misalignment between their brand story and actions included repercussions such as legal actions, fines, and a significant impact on Volkswagen’s reputation.
The Path Forward: Consistent Authenticity
In the ever-evolving landscape of branding, the path forward is clear: consistent authenticity. Your brand’s actions must consistently align with your narrative, even if that narrative includes aspirations for the (near) future.
- Walk the Talk: If your brand is pro-woman and supports female-entrepreneurs as suppliers, you must also have strong pro-female policies in your workplace as well (for example, a maternity leave policy). To fall short of living your story authentically in every –and I do mean, every– aspect of your business is a risky missed opportunity.
- Listen and Adapt: Pay attention to customer and shareholder feedback. Be open to evolving your brand’s actions in response to changing needs and expectations while staying true to your core narrative.
- Tell the Story of Growth: If your brand is on a journey of improvement, tell that story honestly. Share the progress you’ve made, the lessons learned, and the steps you’re taking to become better.
The intersection of brand storytelling and brand actions is where authenticity thrives, and what you must learn to live as a brand to survive. Aligning your narrative with your actions, both internally and externally, is not just a strategy; it’s a commitment to building lasting trust and meaningful connections for years to come.
Embrace your brand’s archetype, stay true to your story.
ready to have a brand strategy rooted in compelling narrative?