One of my favorite sites is Trendwatching. They’re the gurus of watching what’s going on in the world and distilling trends and cool stuff into perfectly digestible little packages. You should subscribe to their briefings, if nothing else, for their wit and humor. But pay attention to a particular trend they mention, called Status Stories. We all know that telling a story is so important to attaching your brand, and your message, to your customer, donor, or potential client. They need to not just hear you, but understand you and want to have a conversation. That’s what starts the marketing machine rolling. Check out what Hubwear has created: T-shirts that display the wearer’s travel routes via airport codes. Wouldn’t you want to know the story behind their trips?


But for smaller businesses and even non profit organizations, telling a story is absolutely critical. And it can’t be the same story, repackaged. Audiences today want to be in touch with something different. Something that expresses their own personality through their choice of brands and businesses. What unique personality does your brand bring to your audience that will make them brag about being in your inner circle?