Communicating your story is key for positioning. Not just a tagline or a mission statement, but a clear and compelling reason to exist. Your ‘why’ is what sets you apart. It’s the difference between a brand that simply sells and one that truly connects.
We often see organisations focus on the ‘what’: the products they sell, the services they offer, the features they’re proud of. But customers don’t buy into what you do; they buy into why you do it. It’s the purpose, the beliefs, the values behind the brand that make people stop and listen.
Why the ‘why’ matters
Storytelling isn’t an add-on. It’s the foundation.
A powerful brand story gives people a reason to engage, advocate, and belong. It builds a brand that can be confidently and consistently communicated across every channel.
It shapes how people see you, how they feel about you, and how they choose to interact with you. People make decisions emotionally and justify them logically. Your story is what nudges someone to act. It’s how you turn passive audiences into active communities.
Your story is about clearly articulating what you stand for and why you exist in a way that resonates with the people you want to reach. That means building a brand that aligns with its values and ambitions, reflecting the expectations, needs, and desires of your stakeholders. Because without a deep understanding of who they are, even the most well-written story will fail to connect.
That’s why storytelling starts with listening.
Redefining the story
Take Liverpool Cathedral, for example. As one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks, it already had heritage and recognition. But our challenge was to uncover and articulate why it exists today. Not just as a historic building, but as a living, evolving space that welcomes communities, sparks conversations, and inspires connection.
After interviewing stakeholders, we helped the Cathedral communicate its story in a way that felt resonant. It wasn’t about reinventing its identity; it was about rediscovering and amplifying its ‘why’.
Shifting from ‘what’ to ‘why’
Egniol is an established multi-disciplinary consultancy firm, but their story focused on what they delivered, rather than why they did it. Their expertise was clear, but the purpose behind it wasn’t.
Through conversations with their team and clients, we uncovered a stronger narrative: Egniol as true partners, not just providers, working alongside clients to shape the future. We shifted the emphasis from a transactional offering to a collaborative relationship, positioning them as future-focused consultants who think beyond today’s solutions.
This repositioning allowed Egniol to communicate not just the services they offer, but the value they create: sustainable development, resilient infrastructure, and places where communities and environments can thrive. It was about telling a story that highlighted purpose, not just product.
