A Great Brand Begins with a Great Story!

It’s no secret that Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak when they began building the Apple 1 in the garage of Steve Jobs childhood home in Los Altos, CA. And to raise their initial $1300 in capital, Jobs sold his Volkswagen min-bus and Wozniak sold his Hewlett Packard programmable calculator. They did their first major deal with the Byte Shop in Mountain View when they convinced them to purchase 50 assembled Apple 1 products.

And we all know what happened. Apple changed the world as a leading force in the tech revolution that forever changed our lives and how we work and communicate. The name Apple was conceived by Jobs who had just gotten off a stint working at the counter-cultural commune, All One Farm, where he pruned apple trees, He was also practicing a fruitarian diet and was often only eating Apples. Who knew that Steve Jobs pruned apples? This is a great story!

When I recently met with Jeff Warshaw, the founder of Connoisseur Media and who famously had built a 39-radio station powerhouse before selling it to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258M, what struck me was how much Mr. Warshaw loved a good story. I had a one on one with him that lasted much longer than the rest of our team as we were immersed in telling media stories, sharing our love and experiences in the broadcast industry.

Mr. Warshaw founded Connoisseur Media in 2004 and purchased Alpha Media last year which entails over 216 radio stations and a digital media company in 47 markets in the U.S. He is a busy guy, yet he still loves a great story. Like a child at Disneyland, he still loves engaging content. His brand started with his love of radio when he built his first radio station while still a student at the Wharton School of Business.

All branding starts with a great story. People listen to stories.

Ever hear how Kentucky Fried Chicken was started? Another great story as Colonel Harland Sanders took over a Shell filing station outside of a small Kentucky town called Corbin. He began cooking and serving meals to travelers. He southern style chicken became highly popular with his clients, and he went on to perfect his famous original recipe of just the right herbs and spices that still makes it a favorite.

So, when you are evaluating your company brand, always lead with a great story of your journey. People are longing for authenticity now more than ever in this digital world we live in. And be assured that within your story is the passion for your product and the “why” of being in business and “why” someone should buy your product or service.