How one CEO is using stories to revive an iconic brand
Chris Thiede
Fractional Storyteller, helping Executives, Founders & Entrepreneurs with important sh*t to say, but not much time to say it
Stephanie Stuckey is leading a comeback. Actually, two of them.
She’s on a mission to bring back the American Road Trip, and all the fun, freedom, and Americana it represents. At the same time she’s reviving Stuckey’s, a company and brand that’s synonymous with the Road Trip.
And she’s rebuilding a family legacy (make that three comebacks).
What’s interesting about Stephanie’s approach is that she’s not hiding in the board room, pulling strings and telling people what to do.
She’s serving as the face of the company and telling the story of her company’s revival as it happens, in real time. And she’s bringing all of us along for the ride.
What She’s Doing
Rebuilding a brand is undoubtedly hard work, with a lot of difficult decisions and unseen stresses. But Stephanie doesn’t let that deter her from telling her company’s story.
On almost a daily basis, she posts updates to her 120,000-plus LinkedIn followers about her company’s struggles and triumphs, her travels and family, and her love of the Freedom of the Road.
It’s a case study in marketing and branding, and it’s a welcome break from the usual corporate BS you see on LinkedIn. Here’s an example of one of her posts, to give you a taste of her approach.
Why It Works
Everyone loves a comeback story. Our books and movies are loaded with them. This is one reason Stephanie’s content is so compelling.
Stephanie seems to know that telling a comeback story as it happens, a couple hundred words at a time, is pure gold.
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As an audience, we become part of the story ourselves. Many people chime in with their own memories of her family’s brand.
Most importantly, we see the Stuckey’s story unfolding through Stepahnie’s eyes. We can feel what the brand, the company, the people, and even America itself mean to her. Her stories tug at our emotions and we can’t help but root for Stephanie and for Stuckey’s.
How You Can Do It
You may not be leading the rebirth of an iconic American brand, but you can still recreate some of the power of Stephanie’s approach. There’s a simple way to do it.
Tell your company’s stories through your own eyes.
Too many companies and organizations rely on sterile, corporate messaging to communicate to their audiences. But that’s all they’re doing. Communicating.
You can get an AI program to write LinkedIn posts or a PR department to create case studies to share through your corporate channels. That may convey the information you want to share, but it won’t have any heart.
Give us the unfiltered story. Give your audience your personal point of view.
As a leader, when you tell your organization’s stories as you see them, you show your audience why they should care. They become invested in your brand, and that translates to long-term trust and loyalty.
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