techniques in telling a memorable brand story

EPISODE 04 HIGHLIGHTS

How are you using video to reach your audience? If you aren’t using video as a means to tell your story and reach your audience, you’re missing out on a magnificent opportunity to grow your brand.

Rob Thompson recently joined Derek Gerber on an episode of the Press Play Podcast to talk about how he’s used video throughout his career and how he sees athletes and entrepreneurs taking advantage of the world’s most popular medium today.

Rob has a rather storied career spanning from managing an Arena Football team to working at Disney and the NFL to writing a book and now founding GamePlanU. The latest venture provides an ecosystem for startup founders in the sports technology and sports lifestyle spaces.

GamePlanU runs a pitch competition bi-annually that encourages its founders to delve into video marketing and storytelling. Each founder submits a 60-second video summarizing their life story, the problem they’re solving, their business model, etc. In short, the video contains their elevator pitch. Some founders present highly produced videos, while others are much more minimalistic.

The company then matches up all of the video presentations in a head-to-head tournament where fans, family members, friends, entrepreneurs, and investors will vote for the best pitch. It isn’t always about the best idea. Instead, it’s about who can break through and get the audience’s attention. GamePlanU wants to teach its entrepreneurs to tell their stories through video. How can you do the same?

“What are those attributes that might be funny, educational, emotional? Think about all those pieces, and if you could put that into a 60-second to two-minute video to tell that story, that’s an easy way to break the ice. That’s an easy way to keep your brand out there.” (9:06) 

Market your Brand Through Storytelling

Rob believes that the key to effectively using video to market your brand begins with storytelling. While people tune out traditional commercials and advertisements, well-told stories are sure to grab your audience’s attention.

“No one likes to be sold, but they all like a story.” (14:10)

Telling your story well always begins with the right storyteller. Are you personable, outgoing, and ready to be in front of the camera? You might be perfect for telling your brand’s story. On the other hand, if you are camera shy and would rather stay behind the scenes, find the right person within your company to be in the video.

“There’s people out there that are really, really good at raising money, but they don’t have the backend to actually execute. And there’s other people that are great executor’s but they’re horrible in front of the camera. So you have to find if you’re not good in front of the camera, put someone else that is, that could tell your story for you.” (6:23)

Tailor your Message to your Audience

Once you’ve got your storyteller, it’s time to decide the story they will be telling. Here, you must cater to your audience. Do they like humor? Add humor to your story. Are they more likely to be drawn to an emotional, drama-filled tale? Try telling your story to highlight some of the things your brand has overcome.

“If you are a business owner and you’re thinking of how do I make my auto dealership or how do I make my garage or pest control company cool, well, put a piece of your humor into it. You know what your clients are looking for. Make it educational, make it emotional, and make it funny. Make it one of those three or blending all three, but tell the story in a funny, unique, educational way that people will remember.” (13:32)

Using video to spread the word about your brand or business doesn’t have to be difficult, and the returns can be mind-blowing. How will you use video to tell your story?