Telling what is important to people who matter | Branding Trilogy for Web3
image: midjourney
Brief:
"Trilemma of Branding": Defining Audience, Promise and the Change your brand causes in people's lives.
Branding by Archetype on the Web3.
How to present your project using Laddering.
Storytelling for brand creation in Web3 projects.
Collabs: How to make associations for your brand on web3.
Hail, my friends!
Welcome to the 2º article of our year-end special on BRANDING FOR WEB3, where we describe details of the creation of Rio Frenz Branding - all real - and how you can implement your project with brand strategies.
Did you miss the other articles? Check them all out here:
Brand Positioning in Web3: Strategically defining the niche and role of your project in the market.
Brand Storytelling in Web3: Detailing persona, archetype, laddering, storytelling, and brand associations.
Logo and Visual Identity in Web3: Details for a good logo, its visual assets, and the main aesthetic trends in Web3.
All these tools have been successfully tested throughout my pre-Web3 life and adapted to the demands of this new digital revolution. Hold tight, it's all top-notch.
A Brand Isn't Just About the Logo
Branding is our ability to share what's important with the people who matter. (I've learned this with the legend, Seth Godin.)
With the official communication of the project, through memes, interactions in communities, on social networks, or in Collabs, we're always creating values and memories - good or bad - in people's minds. Storytelling is the most powerful tool for shaping culture, and it happens in a thousand ways (be it in a Twitter Space or at a bar table).
Today, we have four Brand tools here that really help us organize our ideas and express our purpose. You can use one, all, or none - just reading out of curiosity is cool too. The best part will be if you can enrich our experience with your perspective as well.
The "Branding Trilemma"
Branding, just like blockchain, has its own trilemma, but here the elements don't clash with each other. Honestly, the secret is to tap into our audience's desires, what we promise them, and the transformations that occur during those magical encounters.
1. The Audience:
Who are you creating for?
You've probably already fleshed out the persona for your Web3 project. If not, get on it - there are some great tutorials online. Find out what matters to these people and how your project can help them achieve their goals.
Sometimes it's tough to figure this out.
If that happens, you might have a lackluster product on your hands: an innovation no one cares about or a PFP sticker that doesn't make a difference in people's lives.
In this case, revisit everything until you find the ideal audience profile and a product that truly matters to them.
2. The Promise:
What does your product promise its buyers?
Ease in buying cryptocurrencies?
Status in your social circle?
Insider info for overnight wealth? 😮
Choose an honest promise for your brand, one that genuinely connects with people's desires and, most importantly, DELIVER on this promise as if your life depended on it.
3. The Change:
What happens to people when they engage with your project?
Do they get access to new technology?
Are they welcomed into a community with shared values and desires?
What kind of change does this bring about in their lives?
A great product CHANGES people's status. Identify a significant status change brought about by your project, and you'll have a treasure in your hands."
"The 'Trilemma' in Rio Frenz
In my experience with Rio Frenz, this was the focus I chose to work on, stemming from the Positioning we defined in the previous article.
Audience:
In the AUDIENCE and in CO-CREATION, RIO LOVERS: People from all over the world who fuel their spirits with positive energy and carry Rio de Janeiro in their hearts.
Promise:
Good Vibe Drops Lighting up the World :
SHARE your feelings and IGNITE your vibe with INSANE CARTOONS inspired by REAL LIFE
Change:
From the ordinary to the world of COLOR, SWING, and POSITIVE ENERGY of Rio de Janeiro.
At the dawn of the Ownership Economy, step out of the spectator's seat and become a CO-CREATOR of characters and stories that enchant people around the world.
Don't waste time thinking
"What will we talk to the people today?"
Do you notice how, by addressing these issues, it's like the work 'unfolds' before us? We no longer waste time thinking about what to post or which topic to cover in the next Twitter Space. The conversation naturally emerges from people's desires, world conditions, and how we can help them.
But don't be fooled by this 'simple appearance.' Before answering these questions, RESEARCH!
Great storytellers are the best LISTENERS the world has ever seen.
Archetype Branding: A Cool Approach to Brand Identity
Archetype Branding is AWESOME, but it takes some real know-how in Branding and Psychology. It's too much to unpack in a blog post, but I can give you a teaser so you can see if it vibes with your plans.
Here, we create content based on the 12 behavioral profiles identified in psychoanalysis by Gustav Jung.
Basically, we pick an Archetype - a kind of audience profile we want to cater to - and dive deep into what drives them, their fears, desires, and how they see the world. This way, our communication is spot-on, building a more authentic and effective relationship. Let's look at a practical example:
Ruler Holders
For those in the RULER profile, power isn't everything. It's just the only thing that matters.
They instinctively need to be in control to make sure everything and everyone is okay. The DeGods give their Holders this power, and that's why they captivate Rulers. Exclusive events in hotels and dreamy mansions, wealth, show-off... Noticed that?
On a deeper level, Rulers are particularly drawn to large surfaces of stone, metal, or wood, as it inspires a sense of power. You see this in the venues chosen by DeGods for their events and gatherings. Details like these might go unnoticed by other profiles, but they hit the Ruler's subconscious right on target.
It's worth exploring this kind of study for your project if you're in it for the medium or long haul. If you have any questions, get in touch, and we'll help you out. In the meantime, check out our cool analysis of the Web3 audience using this method in the article "Who Are You in the Bread Line?" Below, we also have the 12 archetypes and famous Web3 characters for each. Have fun!
Archetypes in Rio Frenz
In our case, Rio Frenz needs to break away from the norm and establish a Web3 culture through entertainment. That's why our brand is built on the archetypes of the OUTLAW (think Bored Apes) and the JESTER (like The Simpsons).
This is somewhat reflected in our Design and the sarcastic, playful tone we use to interact online. But the real heavy lifting in this direction starts now in 2024, with our artistic production. 🤩
Laddering
It's a technique where we craft a statement (sentence) to present the business, focusing on each of the 4 aspects below. The simpler, the better.
Then, just REPEAT A LOT! Use it tirelessly in ads, posts, pitch decks, and bar chats.
Physical Attributes:
What can people touch, have in their hands when they come into contact with your product?
This is for those who love "tangible things," to grab and feel.
Might this be subjective in the digital market? Perhaps. But it's worth exploring experiences on the smartphone - "the solution at your fingertips" - or phygital experiences when relevant.
Functional Benefit:
In marketing slang, we ask: "Is it edible or for putting it on your hair?"
Here, we talk about WHAT it's for. WHAT it does to improve life.
Again, useless Jpegs struggle here. An NFT doesn’t necessarily need to grant access to an app; it could take you back to your childhood, connect you with friends sharing the same passion, among a thousand alternatives.
It just can't be useless.
Emotional Benefit:
Now, we tell people how our products touch their hearts and what emotions they awaken.
NFT Art, Collectibles, and Communities SHINE here. Explore without limits.
Brand Purpose:
Finally, tell me: Why does your brand exist? Simon Sinek can help you on this journey!
This can be subjective - reducing global warming - or objective - democratizing access to cryptocurrencies. Whatever it is, it needs to be VERY IMPORTANT to whoever buys your product; otherwise, the whole project starts losing its meaning and becomes easily replaceable.
It's normal for a product to be strong in one attribute and weak in others. If that happens, focus your communication on the good attributes, but don't ignore the rest. 😉
Laddering at Rio Frenz
As we build an international brand, our Laddering was done in English, based on elements that resonate with the foreign audience. There's no perfect Laddering - so don't sweat it - but in the end, 2 things are important: The assertions must fit in any Instagram post or bar conversation, and upon reading/hearing them, people should have a good idea about what the project is all about.
Community Assets
In Web2 marketing, this doesn't exist, but in Web3, we create LEGACY in Community conversations.
Internal slang, group-identifying hashtags, emojis… #LFG 🚀
Pay attention to this. Let these icons be born within your community and make them a part of your identity! It brings an incredible sense of belonging to the group.
Storytelling
When we choose to buy something, our emotions decide what to do, and we use reason to justify these choices. Storytelling marketing is about the stories we tell ourselves when deciding to do something.
When we show friends the huge photo of NY in our living room, we're saying:
"Look at my great taste!"
"Look how much I love American culture!"
What do people tell themselves or their friends when they buy your NFT?
If you've solved the above Trilemma or Laddering questions, you know the answer. Now we need to make sure people know, and there's a good way to do that.
In Branding Storytelling, the PROTAGONIST IS THE BUYER, not the seller.
Just put yourself in the place of YOUR HOLDER and tell this story using a framework like this:
Practical example of the story that Artists tell themselves when they arrive on the Web3:
I believed that selling art was for few artists in elitist galleries. So I found out that with NFTs I can sell my Art in Digital Marketplaces without asking permission or consent to anyone. Now I can live off my Art and I have fans all over the world.
What about your project?
What stories should people tell themselves when choosing to buy their token?
Think about it, write this story and tell it in your media. Make the audience feel like a holder, inspire them to dream of the change of status that your product promotes!
Everything you think about and believe in has come to you through stories.
Your conceptions of good or evil, work, marriage, friends, success... All this was born in you from the stories you heard. This is undoubtedly the most powerful tool for generating value and building culture that we have at hand.
Storytelling on Rio Frenz
Each audience profile asks for a different Storytelling. For WEB3 CREATORS, for example, they would be like this:
I always dreamed of telling stories, but I thought this was something for the big studios. Until I knew Rio Frenz and its OWNERSHIP ECONOMY, where a global community gives life to characters from all over the world in Rio stories. Now I can inspire smiles, touch hearts and be rewarded for it. Like someone who creates their own Mickey Mouse in a world where, together, we can all be a Walt Disney.
Cultural Fit:
There are no stone-carved rules for branding storytelling. It should be inspirational when the brand touches hearts or practical when solving problems.
It needs to resonate loudly with your target audience, even if it doesn't mean much to the rest of the world.
You have to SAY WHAT MATTERS to the PEOPLE WHO MATTER.
Common Mistake in Web3:
The most common mistake I see in Web3 storytelling is about who’s in the spotlight: Creators often put themselves and their communities as the main characters, not the audience.
On Apple, you're the talented creator doing amazing things with the M1 Chip.
On Nike, you're the hero overcoming challenges every day in training.
It's always the audience that shines, not the brand. Otherwise, it sounds like bragging.
This won’t change in Web3. We need to reshape this narrative, or we'll just become an exclusive club.
Brand Associations | Collabs:
Brands aren't built just by doing and saying things, but also by associating with other, particularly more well-known, brands.
When we appear alongside other brands – say, sponsoring a course or participating in an event – the audience sees this as part of the same story. When Dove soap sponsors a marathon, it attaches its credibility and commitment to female self-esteem to the event. Simultaneously, it gets to its brand the health and vitality associated with the marathon.
You can do the same with your Web3 project. Collaborating with other brands can lead to faster and more consistent growth than going it alone.
Beyond added value or distribution benefits, projects exchange attributes with their partners in each collaboration.
No Need to Be a Giant to Associate Your Brand:
Are you still small? Great! The opportunities are huge. Engage in Spaces or YouTube videos. Host digital or real-life events. Support partner actions, organize lives, launch products, and airdrops in Collabs. There are many ways to associate, even on a tight budget.
Which Brands to Associate With?
Evaluate the purpose and audience of both your project and the partner's. If they align, like the Blue Chips example above, this Collab could be a hit. Ideally, list what YOU NEED and what YOU CAN OFFER, seeking partnerships that match. You might have GREAT CONTENT but a LIMITED AUDIENCE.
Your partner might have a LARGE AUDIENCE but NEEDS CONTENT for their schedule.
When you find each other, it's a MATCH. 💘
Collabs in Rio Frenz:
Let's take us as an example again. After planning and modeling, we’ll start producing art and pilot models. Here, we list what we have to offer, current needs, and then hit the market!
And if you're one of them and "fall in love" with our idea, come join us. ♥️
White Label Comics
Collabs are so native to Web3 that they might deserve a fixed place in your business model. In our case, we’re creating a system of White Label Comics, where our humorous and culture-forming content will be freely available for Creators, Startups, and Institutions in Web3 to use in their promotional materials, pitch decks, and organizational culture.
What About Your Project?
How can it contribute to the Ecosystem, and how can we help you?
Twitter, Negative Brand Association
Everyone knows negative brand associations are bad, but we can learn a lot from the recent spat between Elon Musk and Disney, especially from a branding perspective.
Musk has made Twitter his personal brand.
The platform, as a BRAND, is what he is as a PERSON, similar to what Steve Jobs, Jack Dorsey, Bill Gates, Gucci, and many others did.
When Disney chooses to invest its media in Twitter - associating its brand - it attaches its labels of credibility and reputation, like the Dove and marathon story. In return, Twitter attaches to Disney labels that, recently, have involved freedom of speech issues, anti-Semitic sentiments, misinformation about war, and even tributes to a child's axe murder in a Brazilian school.
This doesn't seem like a favorable exchange for brands like Cinderella or Frozen, right?
Musk certainly has the right to run his platform according to any concept of freedom allowed by law. But no brand should be forced to invest its name and money in this, or condemned for choosing not to partake - this even breaks the concept of "freedom" that Elon preaches.
However, the rhetoric on the network positions Disney as “the oppressive giant,” preventing the weak from speaking freely while a single hero - the billionaire - rises to save the oppressed.
A practical case of storytelling shaping people's perceptions of the world according to the storyteller's interests.
Do you see the power of this communication tool?
Thinking they need to pick a side, the Web3 crowd often gets into unnecessary conflicts, not realizing that in an elephant fight, it's the grass that suffers.
Smart is smart, and clueless is clueless.
Lesgo Partnership?
I have good news:
Our 'Top-Notch Partnership' season is now open to hit the streets and travel the world with Rio Frenz!
Are you skilled in illustration, drawing, or 2D and 3D animation?
Do you like our project and want to be a part of it?
Contact us via our email and let's head to the Moon!
Find out more about Rio Frenz
Get to know us at www.RioFrenz.com.
Follow us on Medium.
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