Establishing a brand with story structures | Shannon Deep and Kevan Lee (Bonfire)

Shannon Deep is a writer, brand marketer, and grown up theater kid, who has never met a craft or cat she didn't like. From freelance writing, dramaturgy, and script consulting to working at international branding agencies and global tech brands, Shannon has always put storytelling at the heart of her career. She's the co-founder of Bonfire, which helps brands and the people who build them kindle their creativity through better storytelling.

Kevan Lee is the co-founder of Bonfire. Prior to Bonfire, he led marketing teams for some of the biggest brands in tech, and he has over 15 years experience in scaling growth, brand, and impact from zero to one (and well beyond). 

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We cover: 

• The story structure framework and how to establish a brand 
• Importance of consistency and quality 
• Defining a brand's purpose 
• Examples of brands that have applied story structures effectively  

 

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We reference: 

https://aroundthebonfire.com/

https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/317-story-structures-

https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/409-purpose

https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/435-storytelling-frameworks

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Where to find Shannon and Kevan: 

Shannon's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-deep-34997983/

Kevan's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevanlee/

https://aroundthebonfire.substack.com/

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Where to find Patrick: 

Patrick's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pcmoran/

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(02:34) What startups don't do in effectively developing a brand 

(04:29) Implications of limited and narrow ways of brand conception with companies across all stages

(06:17) Applying a brand system through quality and consistency 

(07:19) The importance of developing a consistent and compelling brand narrative

(08:39) Cases and examples of companies with consistent brand storytelling and the advantages that come with it 

(11:39)  Overall structure and framework of story structures at the executive level down

(13:23)  The purpose as an intersection between a cultural tension your solving for and a view of your brands best self

(15:39) A strong brand purpose is longer term, inspirational and motivational and can be considered relative to what competitors are doing

(20:25) The right teams and leaders involved with developing the brand 

(23:29) Crafting nuanced and multifaceted stories - category/product/persona/cultural - to apply the story structure

(27:18) Using data and insights to inform the story structures

(30:38) Sequencing and prioritizing structures and the stories that come with it 

(34:06) Applying measurement and effectiveness on how stories resonate 

(41:07) How these stories fit within the overall marketing strategy and deriving impact 

(46:40) Applying story structures with brands 

(49:26) Where to find Shannon and Kevan!