Hospitality brand storytelling that stops you doing and saying the same as everyone else – you’d be mad not to
It’s easy to do. You see other brands promise ‘reconnection with nature’, ‘a place to make memories’, ‘rest and relaxation’ and you fall into the trap of saying the same thing; thinking it’s the right thing to say. Then you put your marketing out there and *tumbleweed*: you don’t make the splash you want to.
The problem is there are too many hospitality brands without a story to express who they are
I see too many small businesses not bother at all with brand story telling or use it badly. In the saturated hospitality market, your audience’s attention is limited. If you don’t have a compelling narrative that evokes an emotional response from them you will forever be just another commodity. A replaceable cog in the hospitality machine with no way to differentiate your brand or your business.
Creating a brand story is not simply about standing out or getting noticed. It goes beyond the words on your website, your logo or the email you send after a guest stays. A brand story is the glue that holds your entire brand universe together. It’s a real and truthful position that people care about and want to buy into; one that works with your branding.
Get all the elements of branding and brand working together and you have a business that works.
So the question is, do you have a brand that defines what you stand for or do you have branding that makes you look pretty online?
I would love to work with you to create:
- YOUR BRAND SWEETSPOT – the ownable territory that sits between your customer, your brand and your product
- YOUR BRAND STORY CONCEPT – the creative idea that expresses your story, built to capture hearts and minds
- YOUR BRAND STORY BOOK – the document that binds it all together that you can use to steer your ship
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY HOSPITALITY BRANDS
without a story to express who they are
What is Brand Storytelling?
Brand storytelling is the cohesive, captivating narrative that weaves together the facts and emotions about what you are, what you stand for, and why you’re worth people’s precious time and money.
A brand story is thoughtful, memorable and real. It gives you a powerful compass; a North Star, if you like, that guides all of your marketing, creates a tribe around your business (not just guests) and stops you saying and doing the same as everyone else. Both online and in real life.
When you have a strong brand story, you will never struggle with what to say on any of your platforms. Why? Because a brand story gives you a world to inhabit that is uniquely yours to share.
It’s more than your ‘about page’ and it’s more than simply throwing facts, information and testimonials at your audience. If you have no inkling of your what, who and why, then you could be in for a rough ride ahead.
Brand Story Telling Service | From £1,750
Don't leave your story untold
Ask yourself
Does your marketing reflect the true magic, the soul, of your brand?
Does your content connect, resonate and really mean something?
Do your campaigns win hearts and minds and drive commercial success?
Do you speak to your customers in an authentic language they understand?
Are you building a tribe that wants to shout about you from the rooftops?
When you want a story, ask a storyteller
When you want a brand story you need a story teller, not a marketer. I’ve been telling professional brand stories for over 25 years; I have an MA in Creative Writing, I’m an award-winning advertising writer and I’m an accredited, multi-award nominated travel writer. In short, I understands how to use words to move people to feel and act.
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
Before a brand story can be built it needs one essential building block. I call this the brand SweetSpot. The SweetSpot is the ownable territory that sits between your customer truth, your brand truth and your product truth.
Once I’ve identified your SweetSpot, I wrap it in a captivating, emotive creative concept. This concept gives your story its power to transport people, simplify information and messages, and inspire an emotional response. Why? Because it’s the articulation of strategy that makes an idea sing. Nike doesn’t tell people they’re about achievement, they say ‘just do it’. The way you frame an idea through language is the superpower that ultimately makes it impactful.
Fancy a chat?
OUR BRAND STORYTELLING SERVICES
Stop shouting into the void, hoping to be heard
- BRAND STORYTELLING – your SweetSpot, narrative and creative concept, defined and captured in a Brand Book
- BRAND CREATIVE – original ideas for your advertising and marketing campaigns, social campaigns, and in-person guest experiences
- BRAND COPYWRITING – the right words to express your unique brand for websites, advertising, campaigns, social media
- BRAND IDENTITY & REFRESH – when you need a new or a refined look and feel to align your branding with your story
- BRAND WEBSITES – reshaped, reworked or created to boost conversions and loyalty
Creative Marketing Services | From £100
SOME OF OUR WORK
Stories worth sharing
HARTA RETREAT LUXURY TIPIS
Helping people slow the pace
With the levels of unhappiness and burnout rising, it is obvious that the modern world’s fast pace of life isn’t working. Miranda and Aaron, owners of HARTA RETREAT, chose a slower way of living for themselves when they made the transition from their busy corporate life to unhurried Devon. Their business is forged from their desire to share their slower way of life with others; and the spaces they’ve created do just that. We helped them shape a brand narrative to encourage people to step off the hamster wheel and discover who they are beyond the busy.
BOSCUNDLE MANOR HOTEL
Sharing unique Cornish hospitality
True hospitality is so much more than a polite smile, a beautiful room and an immaculate plate of food. For Jason and Louise, the owners of Boscundle Manor Hotel in Cornwall, true hospitality is about going over and above for every guest. It’s about being authentic in deed, being heartfelt in gesture and, crucially, caring for every guest as an individual. This is empathy-led care with one aim: to help guests experience more joy during their stay in Cornwall.
Client Testimonial | “Claire has that rare skill of “totally getting it” and then being able to translate our mumble jumble of ideas and words into something so beautiful I nearly cried a litte the first time I read her work about us! The bonus with Claire is that you feel she is a true business partner and absolutely a champion of our continued success and progression. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone who wants to lift their brand and story to the next level” Boscundle Manor Hotel, Cornwall
Feeling stuck? Want fresh thinking? Book a Hive Session
60-minute Hive Session | £75
If you’re feeling a little stuck with your brand but are not ready to launch into a brand story project just yet, we can still work together. I offer creative Hive Sessions for owners who want an injection of fresh creative thinking. A Hive Session lasts 1 hour and costs £75. It’s ideal if you want help with:
- Supercharging the copy you’ve written
- Optimising your website comms to increase bookings and conversions
- Crafting more powerful social posts, ads and campaigns
- Developing attention-grabbing packages, events, experiences or offers for your business
- Creating strategically-solid content for your blog, website, social, email marketing
- Understanding where your current branding and brand story is letting you down
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make but about the stories you tell.” Seth Godin