What StoryBrand Gets Wrong | Brand Positioning & Being The Guide

Are you familiar with the StoryBrand framework (SB7) for marketing created by Donald Miller?  

If not, here’s the basics: 

It’s a framework for crafting your marketing message by using the hero’s journey.  

Your customer is the hero on the journey.

You (the business) are the guide. 

It puts the customer at the center of the story as you guide them through their purchase.  

So what’s wrong with that?  

You're not always The Guide.   

And if you’re not...it’s damaging to position yourself that way.  

In this episode, I break down the StoryBrand framework and share the pros and cons. I review where it excels, but also poke holes in places it might fail you. StoryBrand is great for story structure, putting your customer at the center of the story and teaching empathy. But it makes positioning too simple. Everyone is not The Guide.   

To be completely honest, StoryBrand has been life changing for me. I love it. But this oversimplification of positioning has been eating at me. I couldn’t let it go.  

Should you use the StoryBrand SB7 framework for your marketing? See what you think after listening to this episode. While parts will work well, it may require some tweaking. 

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

David C. Baker's inside the jar example

Joseph Campbell's Monomyth

Copywriting formula: Problem-Agitation-Solution

Kurt Vonnegut story shapes

Study of emotional story arcs

CONNECT WITH BRYCE AT MCNABB STORYTELLING

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