Digital Storytelling & Brand

Week 1 - What is a Brand?

In week one, we delved into the concept of a brand, drawing insights from Marty Neumeier's book, The Brand Gap. The focus was on addressing the fundamental "three little questions" that define a company's brand: who they are, what they do, and why it matters. I used the example of Oo-de-Lally Coffee, portraying it as a local faith-based coffee shop in Castle Rock, CO, offering an array of beverages and pre-packaged food items to create a warm and joyful space for the community. However, I realized that my explanation lacked depth in articulating why the brand is significant from the customer's perspective. To truly grasp its importance, I need to empathize and understand its value through the eyes of the customers.

I also created a personal brand statement to secure a job in Christian media, particularly at a church. However, I received feedback that I wasn't specific enough about my target audience. In the statement, I emphasized my intention to create engaging content for the church community, which I believed was sufficiently specific.

Week 2 - Differentiation & Brand Storytelling

This week was especially enjoyable for me. The discussion post was about Target and Walmart and how they differ. I found it interesting to see how the stereotypes of each store were brought out in our discussion. I learned that there are weak and strong differentiators. For example, price, quality, and value would be considered weak since those qualities are accessible to everyone. I compared a strong differentiation of the Good and Gather versus Great Value brands that both companies have developed to elevate the overall brand.

The week’s assignment was to create a Pecha Kucha presentation based on our company’s brand voice. This was so much fun for me. My company embodies authenticity, warmth, and a welcoming vibe, so I chose Reese Witherspoon as the persona for my brand. Her charm and authenticity resonated well with the company's values. Reese also cares about making an impact in the community, as does my company, Oo-de-Lally Coffee. Although it was my first time creating a Pecha Kucha presentation, the most challenging part was ensuring that each slide aligned with the 20-second time limit. Overall, this presentation significantly enhanced my understanding of my company's brand personality. It was a great exercise and one I hope to use in the future.

Week 3 - Storytelling For Your Brand

During our discussion this week, we delved into the topic of archetypes. After completing the quiz (Putnam, K.), my business was identified as the "Girl/guy next door" archetype. I found this to be a perfect match for Oo-de-Lally. One of the key elements that the coffee shop prides itself on is its commitment to authenticity and creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. These values align closely with the Nextdoor archetype, as both prioritize inclusivity and authenticity as core aspects of their identity. In the video assignment for the week, I intentionally incorporated the Nextdoor archetype, leveraging its characteristics alongside my company’s brand persona and voice. This strategic approach allowed me to effectively convey the genuine and inclusive nature of our business, creating a strong connection with our audience.

Storytelling is something that is very important to me. I have always loved stories, and I make a living by creating them. This week, I had a project to create a video story for a company's website or social media. The goal was to create an emotional connection with the audience by showcasing the human side of the brand. My story was about how Oo-de-Lally was more than just coffee; it was a moment. I filmed video shots at the coffee shop and also captured outdoor scenes from a hike through the mountains of Colorado. My goal was to create a lighthearted, authentic story that emphasized taking a moment to reflect on life – all qualities that Oo-de-Lally embodies.

Week 4 - Brand Experience

In the week four discussion, we discussed AI tools in marketing. We had to write a digital marketing prompt and put it into two different AI generators for comparison. I chose to use the Gemini and Perplexity platforms for my comparisons. I found that both platforms gave good results for my prompt, but Perplexity felt more human to me. We also had to discuss the benefits and challenges of AI use. I felt that AI was useful for mundane things like email headers and analytic research/testing but wasn’t meant to replace the human response for better connections.

The week four assignment is to write a Brand Strategy paper to serve as a guide for my company. This paper will include brand components, messaging, and marketing research. I hope to gain a better sense of brand through this paper and how have a brand strategy will help with my marketing goals in the future.

References

Girl/guy next door brand archetype: Psychology brand strategy. Kaye Putnam | Psychology Driven Brand Strategist. (2024, January 24). https://www.kayeputnam.com/brand-archetype-everyman/