Branding Isn’t Theater, So Stop Showing Off

Author’s note 4/8/22: I originally published this episode on 10/17/2018. My perspective on Donald Miller, his ethics, and what his brand represents have changed since I wrote this. I encourage you to read these posts for my thoughts on Donald Miller and the Cult of Online Marketing.

If you make this major branding mistake, one of two things can happen:

  1. You will look like such a SHOW OFF that you annoy the living crap out of your audience and lose them faster than you can throw a tomato at Hamlet’s head.
  2. You will have such bad STAGE FRIGHT that you hide behind the scenes so that no one even knows who you are

The mistake?

Thinking that branding is theater — a monologue you perform for a room full of spectators. Ay, there’s the rub. As Donald Miller of StoryBrand says, “You are not the hero of your brand’s story.  Your customer is.”

Branding is not a performance you do for your audience. It’s a dance you do with your audience.

But, somehow, brands big and small keep making the mistake of treating their brand message like a monologue…and losing customers while they’re at it.

In this episode of Awkward Marketing, I’m breaking down the dance approach to branding and how it will help you make customers for life.

Rachael Kay Albers

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director, business comedian, and brand strategist gone wild. She writes and performs about branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. When she’s not muckraking about marketing, Rachael runs RKA ink, a reinvention studio and branding agency for businesses that burn the rulebook. She's also on Instagram a lot.