If you’re still playing by the traditional branding rulebook, it’s time to flip the script. Today’s audiences expect more than polished taglines and pretty logos. They want connection, authenticity, and experiences that feel personal.
Here’s a radical idea: the best way to build your brand is to break the old rules.
Here’s how you can rethink your storytelling (and why it works).
1. Tell Us About Yourself?
Break it: Make the Visitor the Hero
Too many brands start by talking about themselves. But the truth is, people don’t care about your story unless it helps them see their own. When you position your visitor as the hero and your brand as the guide, you help fulfill their aspirations.
Humans are hardwired for story: we’re 22 times more likely to remember a story than facts alone (Stanford study). And 64% of consumers say shared values are the main reason they form a relationship with a brand (Harvard Business Review).
When you connect emotionally and show your audience a path to transformation, you’re not just telling a story—you’re creating belonging.
Resource: Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
2. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It?
Break it: Always Be Evolving
Branding isn’t about standing still—it’s about moving with the world while staying true to your core. Your purpose should stay consistent, but your expression must be flexible.
By staying culturally and emotionally relevant, you create opportunities to tie your brand to moments that matter. Think of how small evolutions in campaigns-rooted in a strong strategy-can deepen brand equity over time.
A great example: Visit Springfield.
Formerly the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, the organization needed a brand that reflected both the city’s hidden gems and its evolving identity. Using research from Heart and Mind Strategies, we helped them craft a new logo and messaging that balance Springfield’s urban energy and outdoor spirit, while speaking authentically to both locals and visitors.
This wasn’t about fixing something broken—it was about making sure the brand kept pace with the vibrant community it represents.
See the full Visit Springfield rebrand case study here.
Resource: Star Brands by Carolina Rogoll
3. Digital Is King?
Break it: Explore All the Senses
Yes, digital matters, but multi-sensory branding matters even more. Engaging multiple senses creates deeper memory, stronger emotional attachment, and higher brand loyalty.
Non-conscious sensory triggers influence 85% of buying decisions.
Interestingly, 70% of people say direct mail feels more personal than digital (USPS study). And brands that engage three or more senses achieve a 70% stronger impact compared to brands engaging only one or two (Brand Sense/Millward Brown).
So don’t just post; make people feel.
We recently helped Springfield CVB bring this to life with their “Wish You Were Here” direct mail campaign. Targeting event planners, we created a nostalgic, multi-sensory experience: a branded box featuring a retro cassette player, a locally narrated audio tape, and a hand-illustrated Springfield map. A QR code tied it all back to digital resources, blending analog charm with easy next steps.
By engaging sight, sound, and touch, Springfield didn’t just send information—they created a memorable experience that planners connected with emotionally.
You can read more about this mailer here.
Resource: Brand Sense and Buyology by Martin Lindstrom
4. Avoid Your Weaknesses?
Break it: Embrace Your Weakness
The cracks in your brand might just be your most authentic strengths. Owning your perceived weaknesses makes you relatable and real. When you lead with vulnerability, you invite people to trust you.
Finding creative ways to highlight, work around, or even lean into your weaknesses can spark fresh stories and new loyalty.
Resource: Zag by Marty Neumeier and Creative Confidence by Tom & David Kelley
5. Lead with Logos and Taglines?
Break it: Lead with Stories and Experiences
Visual identity is important, but it’s not what people fall in love with. They remember how you made them feel, not just your logo.
If you can create a story or experience so strong that people recognize your brand without seeing your logo, you’ve won.
6. Appeal to Everyone?
Break it: Speak Directly to Your Audience
Trying to appeal to everyone waters down your message. Instead, find your people. Speak their language, reflect their values, and invite them into a story they want to help tell. The right audience will not only engage; they’ll amplify you.
7. Always Be Professional?
Break it: Have Some Fun
Professional doesn’t have to mean boring. It’s okay to be playful, quirky, or even a little weird, as long as it’s authentic to your brand.
It’s better to make someone feel something than to simply convey information. Push boundaries during ideation; pull back only where necessary to stay true to your strategy. Be genuine. Be memorable.
8. Stick to What You Know
Break it: Experiment and Play
Brands that only do what’s safe and proven quickly become forgettable. To truly stand out, you have to be willing to experiment with new formats, new ideas, and even new audiences.
Treat your brand like a living, breathing creative lab. Some experiments might not work, and that’s okay. The goal is evolution, not perfection. Risk-taking is where the breakthroughs happen.
9. Keep It Polished
Break it: Show Your Rough Edges
In an age of polished, highly curated content, showing your raw, behind-the-scenes side can be a huge differentiator. Audiences crave authenticity.
A little imperfection can humanize your brand, making it feel accessible and real. Whether it’s unfiltered social posts, founder stories, or work-in-progress reveals, give people a peek behind the curtain. Vulnerability builds loyalty.
Final Thought:
The most memorable brands aren’t the ones that follow the rules; they’re the ones that boldly rewrite them.
Are you ready to break some rules?
Contact Us and let’s get started.