The Power of Story
Stories have the power to connect you to a larger world, they bring people together, forge relationships, and even broaden horizons with new ways of thinking. The transformative effect of stories can even change one’s feelings, and opinions about another’s reality.
We spend our lives looking for evidence—facts, fiction, and proof—that supports our storyline. And when we come across individuals or stories that create alignment, something magical happens.
Rob Sawchuk, from Turkey & Pistols, imprints his story onto his brand because his brand is his story. Emotional connections with audiences are established through his passionate narrative about heritage, authenticity and creativity. These are crucial elements in storytelling because when someone connects, it means they care.
Brand stories are about engaging audiences with stories that matter…
Sharing stories while exhibiting courage and vulnerability can evoke enough emotion from viewers so they can form a connection with yourself and your brand.
Why is connection so important? Loyalty is born from the feeling of knowing and understanding someone or something.
Traditionally, I abhor shopping, and malls give me anxiety. I usually walk into stores and hope nobody speaks to me. Flying under the radar is my specialty. Rob’s passion for music and apparel hits differently than walking into a box store and flicking through racks.
At 212 Balsam Ave, in Bragg Creek, Rob makes t-shirts and sells records. When Jeff Humphreys and I interviewed Rob, his story turned a conventional t-shirt store into something more.
Rob’s story transforms t-shirts and music into hand-crafted apparel and vintage records brimming with nostalgia. He sells a feeling, not goods and services.
At the heart of Turkey & Pistols is a man who cherishes his Indigenous heritage, has discovered the medicine within music and wants to share it with the world. As a changemaker, Rob “wants to leave a better path” for his family and provide an example for others to follow — community is everything.
I personally experienced a transformation within myself. It was a noticeable shift from not understanding who Rob is to an intimate comprehension of what his principal motivations are.
Authenticity is what drives impactful stories. By the time we finished filming, I had gained a friend and experienced a renewed interest in music.
Brands are shaped by the people within the organization, and their crafted principles sing through stories.
Think about how Phil Knight grew Nike’s brand. He understood that selling shoes was not enough. Nike needed to be about something bigger than just shoes; Michael Jordan was the answer. Nike now sells dreams and the feeling that wearing Jordans or Air Force Ones will elevate a person to an elite level.
Nike is a global powerhouse. Its brand is associated with championship athletes like Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, and the list goes on.
The brand crosses multiple cultures and ethnicities in over seven sports and inspires machinations of equality, championships and elite performance. Nike’s principal motivation’s are why consumers have turned it into the number-one brand on the planet year after year.
Turkey & Pistols is no Nike, but the brand idea holds up from the grassroots level all the way to globalized corporations; it is about reputation.
Brand is everything, and without stories, there is no brand. Without the story, what is Nike? Without the story, who is Turkey & Pistols?