Understanding the Brand's Inner and Outer Layer

The book "Storybranding 2.0" by Jim Signorelli offers personal insight on the new meaning of the word "story" as it pertains to marketing. The word "story" offers several different meanings depending on the person you are dealing with. To an English literature major, the word "story" is interpreted completely different compared to a marketer. To deeply understand storybranding in marketing, Signorelli offers a visual concept called a brand's "inner and outer layer."

The first step in understanding this model is to analyze what each layer represents in regards to the brand. The first layer to analyze is the inner layer. Signorelli says, "Another way to think of your brand's inner layer is to think of it as your brand's soul." What he means here is that this is the core of the brand. It contains the beliefs and values that the brand encapsulates. Signorelli relates the inner layer to the brand's unique value proposition (UVP), which should not be mistaken as a brand's unique selling proposition (USP). He suggests that the UVP could work as an advertising theme line, since it states the true beliefs and values of the brand's identity. He uses examples like "Be All That You Can Be" or "Think Different."

The reason behind the importance of a brand's inner layer is because we all must collect the backstory of the brand. Marketers must understand the deeper meaning of the brand, what they believe in, what value do consumers obtain, what are the benefits, etc. In this process, it is difficult to find meaning of the brand. Signorelli says that management teams work diligently to develop tools of logic and analytics, but forget about the emphasis of hedonic value. An important part of a brand's identity is the "emotional, nonlinear, softer stuff of a brand's meaning." It can be a challenge to figure just what that stuff is. Although it is challenging, it is important for brands to have their single value that is the most true, which means that the consumers and employees will emotionally connect with that value.

So, then what is the outer layer? Signorelli calls it the confidence builder. It's purpose is to support the inner layer. Think of it as a body. The outer layer is the skeleton and the skin, which protects and supports our inner organs. The inner organs consists of the beliefs and values of the brand. It is referred to as the confidence builder because it represents the brand to the prospects (consumers). Essentially, the outer layer "walks the walk," which represents the inner values and beliefs. However, Signorelli states that in today's marketplace, brand confidence is becoming harder to achieve.

When Signorelli describes the brand's outer layer, he relates it to the plot of the storytelling. It explains the how. The purpose of the outer layer is to showcase how the inner layer's values and beliefs manifest themselves through product features and benefits. An interesting point to Signorelli's arguments is the common theme found among new clients' "elevator pitch." He says that when they ask what makes their brand significant, most answer: "We' re the biggest network of health clubs in the U.S." or "our casinos have the loosest slots." That is an example of the outer layer, but brand's tend to forget to express its inner layer, its soul. What this explains is the importance of using your outer layer to explain what is in the inside. Brand's should not just concretely state how their brand is the best, but they must incorporate the value the consumer will obtain from the brand. When the two layers work together simultaneously and effectively, the brand is on its way to a remarkable marketing campaign.