ACHTUNG! on the importance of your brandstory

'Does your brand follow your business, or does your business follow your brand? ‘All marketers should ask themselves this question’ according to Dick Buschman, Partner at ACHTUNG! Amsterdam. ‘The mandatory requirement is that brands truly own their brand story and make this leading for all their content’. ‘It is about consistency and recognizability to build a brand.’ ‘Being in the game for the long term and not the short term show-offs.’  Dick embraces the long term brand-building philosophy by Les Binet. 

3 Layers of content

Dick explains ‘Good content is based on three layers:

• First, the long term big idea. Authentic, in line with your brand story and origin.
• Second, the content to build the brand. Show and tell who you are and what makes you tick - from a customer's perspective, the 'what's in it for them' in the core of your content.
• Last the sales activation content’. Nothing wrong with a strong call to action or an offer they cannot refuse. In the end, it is about sales to continue your brands' existence.

‘You cannot skip the first or the second layer and expect to create an impact.’

Advice: show and tell your brand story

His advice for briefing an agency is for the brand to ‘show and tell their extended brand story, include the heritage, the origin, the journey and the vision for the future.’ ‘If you get your agency to truly understand your brand story, they can incorporate it as the leading element in the heart of all campaigns’. ‘Only then the business will follow the brand, instead of the brand following the business.’

The proof is in ACHTUNG!s award-winning work for Volkswagen. After the diesel gate, the brand trust in the Netherlands restored significantly faster than in other countries. How did they do this? With ‘Volkswagen Memory Lane’ they go back to the roots of the brand, embracing the heritage. Bringing to life those extraordinary and special memories people have with their first Volkswagen. In a pure and authentic approach of the ATL, branded content, social and direct 1-on-1 communications, Volkswagen sticks to who they are and connect to their fans. The result is not only the restored trust, it even resulted in an increase in the market leader in the aggressive automotive industry. Effie case description 

Source ACHTUNG!