What makes your brand special?

If you answered by talking about your brand’s unique advantages and consumer benefits, you own a house, not a home.

Don’t feel lonely.  There are plenty of companies doing the same thing.  And they all have lessons to share.

Xerox and Chiquita

Take Xerox for instance. At one time, having a  Xerox machine in the office had become a necessity.  Instead of asking, “Can I get a copy of that?” it was commonplace for people to ask, “Can you make me a Xerox?” Having achieved a great deal of success, the company decided to cultivate other ambitions. For one, Xerox wanted to get into computer technology and data processing. They spent many years and millions of dollars before finally throwing in the towel. Why? Because they couldn’t get buyers to believe that a copy machine company could make a good computer. In effect, Xerox found out that it was a house, not a home.

Chiquita is another example. Chiquita had to admit defeat after trying to convince us that they make a good frozen juice bar.  Country Time Lemonade was forced to stop trying to sell Country Time Apple Cider. Ponds barely got out of the starting gates with Ponds toothpaste before it quit. And Smith and Wesson (yes, the maker of guns) tried to sell a bicycle of all things. Thousands of stories like these exist.

Apple

But then many brands tell a different story. Apple has gone from selling computers to phones, to tablets to who knows what’s next. Nike started out selling waffle-soled running shoes but is now the leading brand of athletic equipment, gadgets, and apparel.  Perhaps a more extreme example is Virgin with its long list of unrelated products and services: phones, records, airplanes, casinos, satellites.  In case you’re sick and in jail, Virgin even provides a prison health service.  Add Harley Davidson, Disney, Starbucks, and anything that Oprah labels to the list.  See any similarities?  These are brands that grew by creating homes, not houses.

When we think of these brands, we don’t just think of a single products or service.   We think of the ideas, values and beliefs their names represent. To their buyers, they offer something more important than functional benefits.  They provide a sense of belonging.  In fact, their buyers aren’t really buyers. They are more like members of the same household who share similar beliefs. Virgin could sell mud flaps if it wanted to.  No doubt, they’d become the best selling mud flaps available. ( Hey Branson, you heard it here first!).

How do you build your brand story? Learn here! 

How To Turn Your House Into A Home

If you’re interested in turning your house into a home, here are 5 simple brand storytelling rules to follow:

1. Inspect Your Brand’s Foundation

Before expanding your product line, ask yourself if your core identity can support it. A great foundation provides a solid base that will easily bear any new extensions. If your foundation is too narrow, it will only hold up your original house as is.

2. Improve Your Digital Curb Appeal

First impressions dictate how consumers perceive your organization. When people see your marketing assets from the outside, they should not just think “looks nice.” Instead, they must immediately see a representation of their personal values and what they stand for.

3. Eliminate the Clutter

Overcomplicating your message dilutes your impact. Throw out every product feature or distracting promotion that pulls away from the one simple but vital truth that your home represents.

4. Partner With the Right Agency

Anyone can run basic ads to help you find temporary renters or transactional buyers. You need to hire partners who know how to tell your story in an authentic way that attracts long-term followers.

5. Maintain a Permanent Open House

True community requires continuous transparency. By keeping your communication channels real, authentic, and open, you allow your audience to build lasting trust with your business.

Making a distinction between a house and a home has many advantages. Just remember, a house functions as a place to shelter you from the elements, provide you with ample closet space and a place to park your automotive status symbol.  Homes serve a very different purpose.  They provide belonging, and support for values you can identify with.

The extent to which your brand can offer customers a home instead of a house will determine the size of your family.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Rules of Brand Storytelling

Why do successful product extensions require a brand “home”?

When a business functions purely as a “house,” consumers only associate it with a specific utility, like copying documents or buying fruit. Conversely, when you build a brand home, you build an emotional connection based on shared beliefs. This trust gives you the flexibility to launch new products across entirely different industries because your audience buys into why you exist, not just what you sell.

How can a business find its core storytelling truth?

Finding your truth requires looking beyond your functional features and competitive advantages. Examine your founding values, your company culture, and the emotional impact your service has on your customers. Once you distill this message down to its simplest form, it becomes the guiding anchor for all your content marketing.

Can a B2B company use emotional brand storytelling?

Absolutely. B2B purchasing decisions are often viewed as purely logical, but they are still driven by real individuals who prioritize trust, reliability, and corporate alignment. Sharing your brand journey and showing the human faces behind your operations builds deep credibility that distinguishes you from standard competitors.

Next Steps: Auditing Your Brand Narrative

Shifting your identity from a functional “house” into an emotional “home” requires a deliberate strategy. If you are ready to implement the foundational rules of brand storytelling, here is where your team should start:

1. Identify Your Core Value Proposition

Look beyond your product specs, pricing tables, and surface-level features. Ask your team: “What is the deeper belief or mission that drives our business?” Pinpoint the exact emotional value or sense of belonging you want your community to experience whenever they interact with your name.

2. Conduct a Content Clutter Audit

Review your website, recent email campaigns, and social media channels. Ruthlessly strip away corporate jargon, overly technical feature lists, and self-serving promotional fluff. Streamline your copy so your singular, authentic brand story can shine through clearly without distraction.

3. Gather Real Customer Stories

Stop guessing how your audience perceives you. Reach out to your most loyal, long-term clients and find out why they truly stick around. Discovering the exact emotional reasons they choose your brand over a competitor gives you the raw, authentic material needed to fuel your future marketing campaigns.