What is a brand story?
A brand is more than just a logo. It's the sum of all that we are and all that we do. It's how we're perceived by our audiences, how people feel about us.
When our actions are guided by a consistent and energizing brand, our audiences notice what makes us great. It starts with a clear and compelling story about who we are.
A great brand story is rooted in the best of who we are today, and it guides us to where we want to be tomorrow.
A brand story is made up of these components:
- brand purpose
- brand promise
- brand personality
- brand attributes
Who is the brand story for?
The VIU brand story is for us, the employees at VIU. It guides our actions and our decisions. All that we do and how we communicate — with students, the public and with each other – everything should support the brand story.
Brand purpose
A brand purpose is the reason we exist. It's why we do what we do. It's what motivates us to be the best we can be.
VIU brand purpose: To support and inspire people and place
How to use brand purpose
Brand purpose is used as an internal mantra, "Do the right thing: support and inspire people and place."
Brand promise
A brand promise is the unique thing we offer our audiences.
VIU Brand Promise: Deep connections, fresh perspectives
How to use brand promise
We must honour our promise in all that we do. In our work we ask ourselves: Does this deliver on the promise of deep connections and fresh perspectives?
Brand personality
A brand personality is a set of characteristics that define who we are.
VIU brand personality: ambition, humility and integrity
How it works
Ambition: We know our value and our potential, and we're happy to share our successes. And we will always strive for better.
Humility: Our ambition is tempered by our humility. We're approachable, and we're flexible and open.
Integrity: We are committed. We're prepared to follow our values even if it means difficult decisions.
How to use brand personality
We must express our brand personality in all that we do. That means always asking ourselves – is this ambitious? Are we acting with humility and integrity?
Brand attributes
Brand attributes are how our audiences will describe VIU if we're consistent with our brand.
VIU brand attributes
- passionate and open
- confident and fun
- expert and practical
- personal and flexible
These pairs are each a single attribute, because together they are more meaningful. For example, a person who is confident and fun is someone you want to be around; a person who's just confident may not be pleasant to spend time with.
How to use brand attributes
These attributes are the key to on-brand messaging. They describe the tone of voice we must use in every communication. We needn't convey all attributes all the time. We use a mix based on the audience and the message. In all communications, use the tone of voice checklist to ensure we're on-brand.
The VIU brand story in one paragraph
VIU offers deep connections, bringing fresh perspectives as we support and inspire people and place. We show our ambition, humility and integrity in all our actions and we will be described as passionate and open, confident and fun, expert and practical, personal and flexible.
How to use the VIU brand story
This brand story is our foundation. It guides our actions, unifies our behaviour, builds our reputation, and makes us more trusted and recognized in the world. Refer to the brand checklist to ensure work is on-brand.
How do we tell our brand story?
Our brand story is something we show rather than tell.
Why? Well, let's say you meet a new character who says, "Hi, I'm HAL. I'm generous and kind. My purpose is to make life better for everyone around me." Then HAL, an AI, takes over the spaceship you're on and kills most of the crew. How would you describe HAL? Probably not as kind.
Or let's say you meet someone named Mr. Burns, and he tells you he's generous and kind. You know Mr. Burns is rich because he has a manservant. Then he donates a mere three dollars to a charity for children. Would you describe Mr. Burns as generous?
Let's say you meet a fellow named Mr. Rogers. He doesn't tell you anything about himself. But he tells you how awesome you are, and he offers to cook you lunch. How would you describe him? Maybe as generous and kind.
These are silly examples, but they make a point. Our brand story is best told through our actions. It's also an example of how we can show brand attributes through how we write:
- The pop-culture references are fun and we show confidence in anticipating how you will respond to them.
- The conversational tone is personal and the questions signal that VIU is flexible.
- Using examples many people will recognize is a practical way of sharing expertise.
- The creation of these examples suggests a passion for the topic and an openness to finding new ways to get a point across.
These examples also show you what we're trying to achieve. Chances are you recognized at least one of the characters in the example. And before reading this you had an opinion about who they are. That's good branding.
Questions?
If you want help with your VIU messaging, open a ticket with Brand and Marketing. Choose the brand review option. We're happy to give you feedback and tips.