I’ve had one companion as I battle through Christmas COVID: a bag of Cadbury’s Roses.

Halfway through watching The Holiday, popping another Golden Barrel in my mouth, I noticed this on the back of the packet:

Aw isn’t that lovely.

My mind conjured up images of a sweet old lady meandering through a vibrant garden, tending to her favourite roses, and handpicking a couple to take back and put in a vase at home, perhaps ready for a friend to visit for afternoon tea.

The warmth and nostalgia of this story reflects exactly how these chocolates make me feel: appreciative of the small things, safe, cosy, sweet, sentimental, comfortable, tranquill, cherished, humble, fuzzy, calm, content.

These aren’t the emotions and experiences you’d tie to a huge corporation like Cadbury’s. But they are what you’d associate with their product (and what they want you to associate with it). And that is how you craft a captivating, relevant brand story (& do it in a few sentences – hats off to Cadbury’s.)

Here’s why this works so well & what you need to consider when crafting your brand story:

Cadbury’s Rose’s brand story works well because they’ve thought beyond the surface.

While I’m unsure, I’d hazard a guess that the idea for Rose’s wasn’t thought up as a sweet old lady picked flowers and gently laid them in her wicker basket. More likely, a group of product developers and important Cadbury’s men (is anyone else just imagining Willy Wonka?…) wanted to create a new product to meet market demand.

But which story feels more warm and fuzzy? The sweet old lady or the corporation? It’s obviously the lady. So, Cadbury’s looked further into their brand narrative and experience to craft a story that aligned with their product.

Questions to ask yourself as you craft your brand story:

How do you want your product to make people feel?
Cadbury’s wants people to associate Roses with the sweetness and contentment of nostalgia.

What part of your/your brand history conjures up these feelings?
A tale of a small chocolate business turned big conglomerate wouldn’t do this. But the story of one sweet lady’s love of flowers does.

What parts of your brand story are relevant?
No one wants to read a 3-page brand story of how your creative inner child suffered through a corporate career before becoming a part-time wedding planner. Be honest, how many brand stories like this have you read? Tell the story only you can.

Cupid Copy client example

We recently worked with a Hawaiian photographer on their website copy and brand strategy. Part of this project included developing a brand story that the everyday vacation-goer could relate to.

Instead of telling the story of our client’s journey to becoming a photographer, we focused on how photography came into her life through her relationship with her late grandfather. A story of love, connection, and happen-stance that her clients will see themselves in.

This story connects with her audience through its relatability and sentimentality – two things reflected in her brand and values.

Remember, your story isn’t always how you started your business or what led you there. It’s a strategically crafted narrative that connects with your audience and positions you/your brand/your offerings. Sometimes this might start on day 1, and sometimes it might be 3 years down the line. Just make sure it’s something relevant to your brand that your ideal client actually wants to read. And if you’re unsure, why not ask them? Or work with Cupid, we’d love to craft your one-of-a-kind narrative.