Godin On Brand As Mythology

Seth Godin has a post on how storytelling can create myths and legends around brands. He says:

Why do Santa and Ronald McDonald have a mythology but not Dave at Wendy’s or the Burger King? … if I were trying to invent a mythic brand, I’d want to be sure that there was a story, not just a product or a pile of facts. That story would promise (and deliver) an heroic outcome. And there needs to be growth and mystery as well, so the user can fill in her own blanks. Endorsement by a respected ruler or priest helps as well.

The key word, I think, is spiritual. Mythological brands make a spiritual connection with the user, delivering something that we can’t find on our own… or, at the very least, giving us a slate we can use to write our own spirituality on.

Seth’s Blog: Brand as mythology