Copycat

"Strategic narrative is not a marketing tool, it's a business growth tool." Learn why from Copycat's President, Mikey Shaughnessy ⬇️ Claiming strategic narrative is a marketing tool is akin to a movie's plot being its narrative. Sure, it's one component, but narrative captures so much more... -The World, i.e., your industry, vertical, competitor landscape, etc. -Character Development, i.e., your beliefs, positioning, identity, communication style, etc. -The Heroes Journey, i.e., go-to-market strategies, product launches, etc. And while narrative certainly backbones marketing collateral, its effects are felt far beyond this. For example: #1 Shared Language Bridging the sales and marketing language gap is still a core problem for so many businesses. It's almost stereotypical at this point. Not only does a shared language framework connect these two departments, but it also ensures every department—from accounting to HR to fulfillment—understands how to communicate about the business. #2 Shrinking Decision Matrix (aka Empowered Teams) With a clear narrative, employees across the organization are empowered to make decisions without running their ideas up the chain. Again, with a CLEAR narrative, employees should easily track how their efforts fold up into greater company targets. This means no more check-box days where individuals are just crossing off the to-do list. #3 Real Buy-In A compelling narrative doesn't stop at the consumer. Real buy-in means that the narrative is exciting for leadership, employees, interns, and everyone in between. It should answer the existential question: "Why am I doing this 5 days a week, 8 hours a day." #4 Emergent Opportunity Strategic narrative sets the destination and shows you how to navigate the terrain— but it isn't prescriptive, and that's a good thing. When you understand intuitively the motions of success, you're tuning your team's collective intelligence to see opportunities where they otherwise wouldn't. A company's strategic narrative serves as the directional force behind any effort. And when done right, it's the same magnetic force that attracts customers to you over the competition. In that way, strategic narrative is not just a marketing tool, it's a business growth tool.

Seasonal, spicy, and ready to paw-ty!

😱😱😱 This one is sure to scare everyone (including your audience) away. 

Because if your team doesn’t even know what your brand is trying to say, how will your audience? Start speaking the same language by partnering with Copycat.

If your strategic narrative is buried on page 37 of your brand book, then you don’t have a strategic narrative. Instead, your narrative should… #1 Backbone the messaging across all marketing channels and spotlight your consumers' individuality. 🤸 #2 Align your team around a WHY that's applicable to THEM, improving decision-making and ensuring all departments are humming the same tune. 🚣 #3 Guarantee that as your company grows, your mission never becomes second to your product. 💕

Spring cleaning can *and should* happen multiple times a year. Autumn is just as much a season for purging, refreshing, and transforming—especially when it comes to your brand messaging.  To help, Copycat’s Head of Editorial, Nicolette Hatzidimitriou, is sharing her 3 easy tips for strengthening your copywriting this season. 1️⃣ Keep it (apple) crisp  Excess words can clutter your copy, making it needlessly clunky and distorting the distinct flavor you’re going for. Use the active voice and choose words intentionally to ensure a message that’s succinct and delicious. 2️⃣ But don’t be afraid to (pumpkin) spice it up Succinct doesn’t mean simple or generic. Add the spice of your unique brand voice to make your copy your own. Audiences crave that type of authenticity even more than a seasonal latte. 3️⃣ Prioritize originality that (autumn) leaves virality and AI behind Your brand narrative isn’t a season that comes and goes—it has staying power, especially if you know how to share it through original, human-generated content. So, stop raking up bot-created caption ideas and start looking inward for messaging your audience can truly dive into.  

No offense to Johnny Depp, but he's no narrative strategist. Book a Narrative Discovery call with Copycat and we'll help you develop a brand narrative that actually resonates with consumers.

Are you seriously going to say no to this face? 🙀 🙀 🙀

If you’re making your marketing decisions with the same approach you used to decide to crimp your hair in the early 2000s… Let Copycat help you avoid making another "trendy" decision you'll regret.

Refreshing your brand narrative requires a bit more than just changing your tagline or hopping on the latest viral bandwagon. Fortunately, narrative strategist Hailey Kragelj is here to help. Here are her 3 tips for navigating a brand narrative refresh. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 1.) The call is coming from inside the house. Answer it. Your uniquely resonant brand narrative won’t be found in market trends, competitor analyses, or consumer insights. It’ll come from within—the story you’re already living. Hold up a mirror and look. Ask your team, clients, customers, and partners what they see, too. 2.) Go down the rabbit hole. (It’s lined with gold.) Unearthing your brand narrative is like cleaning out your grandparents’ attic. To find the priceless family heirlooms, you have to open and look through every dusty box. You’ll comb through a lot of crap to find a few gems. It’s necessary, and it’s worth it. 3.) Every narrative needs an audience. Find yours first. In fact, the audience is what makes your narrative meaningful. Don’t just tell your story to your community, tell it for them. Learn how to speak their language, and how to translate from yours. If you don’t know who they are—or how they communicate—start there. Start your brand narrative refresh with Hailey & Copycat: https://lnkd.in/dCmMsqkw