May 30, 2025
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5 min read
Most brands believe that if they tell you what their values are, that should be enough.
They add buzzwords like “sustainability” and “inclusivity” to their website and assume that just by saying they believe in them, it makes them true.
Even worse, they assume their customers automatically care.
The problem with this logic is that they’re just words.
And every brand on the planet is saying them.
What differentiates most brands from the great, memorable, and ultimately successful brands is storytelling.
As an Edmonton design agency and content marketing specialists, we've built our client strategy around good storytelling.
This blog will give you an inside look at what it means to tell a story well and what separates the good stories from the bad—and yes, there is a critical difference.
Learn how you can transform your values into a story that excites your audience, engages new customers and helps you grow your brand.
The first thing every great story has is a hero.
Most brands make the pivotal mistake of making themselves the hero.
But every great brand story centres the audience as the hero.
Take a look at Gatorade. Their slogan is: "When you give everything, Gatorade gives it back".
The pivotal word there is ‘you.’
You are the athlete; you are the one who leaves it all on the field or track every day.
You are the hero of your story, and Gatorade is just here to support you as you pursue your athletic dreams.
How this translates in storytelling:
In the late 1990s, Gatorade launched the "Is It In You?" campaign, which featured imagery of athletes, including Michael Jordan, with Gatorade dripping from their bodies instead of sweat.
This year, Gatorade put a modern spin on the “Is It In You” campaign, rebranding it as "Lose More. Win More."
This campaign featured Kendrick Lamar and showcased various athletes, highlighting the drive and sacrifices they make to achieve their goals.
The takeaway: Gatorade is not the hero in their story. You are.
Every good story has some action in it. The same goes for brand storytelling.
Athletic Brewing Company, a U.S. craft brewery specializing in non-alcoholic beer, understands the concept of action better than most.
Some of Athletic Brewing’s values include: Community, Inclusion and Integrity. They’re also a Certified B Corporation, which is a part of their commitment to social and environmental impact.
But saying they care about the community and the environment is one thing.
So, what actions does Athletic Brewing take to show they actually mean it?
First, they created a program called "Two for the Trails", which donates 2% of their sales to trail and park cleanups.
They also developed a Community Program, where every regular employee is able to be paid to volunteer up to 12 days per year!
They even reworked their shipping process to eliminate the plastic disks that hold beer cans together, replacing them with recyclable materials.
Then, they took each of these actions and turned them into stories.
Stories of the trails they cleaned, their team members who volunteered, and the packaging they created to show that they go beyond just saying their values—they live them.
Every great brand story has a hero, an action and real-life impact.
It's not enough to just say you did something.
You need to show how your values translate into real change in the world.
Take Earth Water, for example.
Instead of saying “We give back to our community,” they tell you precisely what that means: “Each case sold funds one week of school meals for a child.”
Patagonia is another fantastic example of this.
Instead of saying, “we believe in sustainability,” they have a dedicated page on their website to showcase what it means, including this powerful stat: “Since 2020, we have kept over 1,700 tons of plastic waste out of the world's oceans by turning discarded fishing nets into gear.”
After reading our three-step strategy for powerful brand storytelling, you might be wondering: Is mine up to par?
We’ve worked with dozens of brands, from non-profits and tech companies to start-ups and beyond.
Most make the same mistakes when it comes to their storytelling, so if you feel like yours is missing the mark, you are in good company.
That said, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to rise above the rest and tell stories your audiences actually want to engage with.
Asking our clients these exact questions often helps us determine where their storytelling is going wrong and how to change it.
Remember, without a hero, action and tangible impact, a story is just that; a bunch of words.
The simple truth is that people buy from and interact with brands whose values align with theirs.
A September 2024 survey found that approximately 62% of U.S. adults somewhat or strongly agreed that they tend to buy brands that reflect their values.
Another study in the Harvard Business Review found that 64% of consumers report forming strong brand relationships based on shared values.
The problem is that most brands fail to tell a compelling story about their values that audiences can engage with.
Thinx, the period underwear brand, knows how to do it right.
Thinx’s slogan is “for people with periods,” making their customer the hero right off the bat.
Because their values include education and empowerment, they created the EveryBody puberty education program, which collaborates with schools and after-school programs to provide information about the changing body.
They also believe in giving back, and they have the data to prove it.
In 2023 alone, the company donated over 185,000 pairs of period underwear to organizations that work to make sure everyone has access to period products.
The result?
Thinx’s storytelling made waves, helping the company grow its revenue from approximately $50 million in 2018 to nearly $100 million in 2021!
The company was eventually acquired in 2023 in a deal worth over $230 million!
We recommend taking a long, hard look at your website and marketing materials and asking yourself: Am I telling a story worth hearing?
A few simple changes to your approach can make a big difference.
Need help reframing your brand story?
We're an Edmonton-based website design agency and content marketing firm specializing in helping complex businesses communicate effectively online.
View some of our work here or contact us today for a free consultation.
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