You’re not the hero of your brand’s story. Your customer is.
Too many brands make the mistake of positioning themselves as the star of the show—“Look how innovative we are! Look how great our product is!”
But customers don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.
In my “Mastering the Message” Workshop, I often ask participants this question:
“If I could give you a free BMW or a free Mercedes, which one would you take?”
Immediately, hands shoot up for their brand of choice. When I ask, “Why the Mercedes?” the fans say, “it’s classy, it’s legendary, it screams old money, it just rides perfectly.”
And the Beemer fans say, “Mercedes is for old farts. It’s stogie and old school. BMW’s are sleek, sporty, fast and high performance.”
This can turn into room dividing arguments for my German workshop participants. And it’s because both companies have made us feel a certain way about ourselves when we picture ourselves behind the wheel. Both companies ask, “Who am I when I drive this? How will I feel when my friends, family, co-workers see me in it?”
The best product storytelling reflects the customer’s hopes, struggles, and aspirations back at them—so they see themselves in the narrative and think, “That’s me. I need this.”
Relatable Problem: You’re struggling to make your product marketing emotionally resonate with potential customers.
Pro Tip: Use the Hero’s Mirror Strategy to craft messaging that makes customers feel seen:
- Describe Their Everyday Struggle: Before introducing your product, start with a scenario that your customers experience daily.
- Make It Personal: Use language that sounds like them, not corporate jargon.
- Slip into the Driver’s Side: How would your customer feel using your product? How do they want to feel? How do you want them to feel? And what would you want them to say to their friends and colleagues about how they feel after getting out of the driver’s seat?
- Show the Transformation: Paint a vivid picture of life before and after using your product.
- Let Them Be the Hero: Frame your product as a tool that helps them succeed, not as the star of the story. Remember, Luke is the star of Star Wars, not the light saber.
Example:
A fitness tech company launching a smart health tracker didn’t say:
“Our wearable uses AI-powered insights to optimize performance.”
Instead, they told this story:
“You wake up tired. Again. You’ve been training hard, but something isn’t clicking. What if your body could tell you exactly what it needs? With [Product Name], you’ll know the perfect time to train, recover, and rest—so you stop guessing and start performing at your peak. Imagine that sense of mastery over your body and your routine that’s taking you to the next level.”
The customer doesn’t care about AI. They care about feeling in control of their health.
If your customers see themselves in your story, they’ll believe in your product.