Iron Man costumes at the Tony Stark base at the Avengers experience in Las Vegas.
| | | |

You are not the hero. Why brands need to step out of the spotlight

ByJohanna

Most brands write themselves into the story like they’re Iron Man. But no one likes a hero who won’t stop monologuing about their own brilliance. Especially when what your customer actually needs is a J.A.R.V.I.S. Brand storytelling has become a strange kind of theatre. Everyone wants to be the protagonist, the visionary, the world-changer. And…

A winding path, symbolizing transformation and inner movement. The scene evokes both journey and choice.
| | | |

Beyond the call. The Hero’s Journey as a marketing framework (that still works, sometimes)

ByJohanna

A story is never just about events. It’s about movement through change. That’s what makes it useful in marketing and why we still reach for the hero’s arc, even when it doesn’t quite fit. Every time the Hero’s Journey is declared passé, it stages a comeback. Rebranded. Repurposed. Recast. From origin stories on startup landing…

A heroic warrior on horseback, cloaked in medieval armor, evokes transformation and courage amidst a lush, mysterious forest. A visual metaphor for timeless story arcs.
| | | |

The classic story arc. Why the Hero’s Journey and three acts still work

ByJohanna

We don’t crave novelty. We crave resolution. You rolled your eyes. Another Hero’s Journey. Another three-act story arc. Another startup founder sharing how rock bottom was actually the best thing that ever happened to them. In a marketing world obsessed with breaking the rules, there’s a new kind of cliché: the one where we dismiss…

Block letters spelling out the word "failure" to feature a blog on how to recover from marketing failure with the help of narrative or storytelling.
| | |

Fail fast, story harder. The strategy that makes failure marketable

ByJohanna

If your marketing failed, maybe it wasn’t the idea. Maybe it was the storytelling. “Fail fast” left out the best part We’ve absorbed the Silicon Valley gospel like scripture: Fail fast. Fail often. Learn and move on. The part they forgot to teach us was what to do with all that failure. So, we bury…

A man reading a book. Over the man's head all various storytelling genres, that should also be used in marketing to inform the brand story, tone of voice, and visuals.
| |

Genres aren’t just for books. How to choose your brand’s narrative style

ByJohanna

Your brand might not be a hero’s/heroine’s journey. It might be a slow-burn mystery, a cheeky romance, a survival tale… Once you know your genre, everything (voice, visuals, story arc) starts to make sense. Your brand has a genre This might sound strange at first. Genre? Isn’t that a bookshelf decision? A category label slapped…

Woman holding a mirror, but who is mirrored appears from behind
| |

Through the looking-glass. Storytelling beyond the known brand universe

ByJohanna

Your brand crossed a threshold. Now the rules don’t apply. I. Prologue: The mirror that refuses to reflect Some mirrors tell the truth. Others tell stories. And some, the oldest ones, the ones tucked in the wrong corners of quiet houses, are doorways. In Through the Looking-Glass, Alice (in Wonderland) does not find herself reflected….

Sewing needle with red thread isolated on white background.
| |

The Quiet Rebellion. How to tell a brand story without a hero

ByJohanna

I. So who died and made the hero to center of every story? Once upon a brand… the hero rises. The journey begins. The call to action rings out like a polished CTA button. Every workshop promises to put you in the hero’s seat. Every brand strategist draws the same arc across the whiteboard. But…

The Dark Night of the Soul can be scary for fictional characters, individuals, and brands alike, like the face of this ghost in the dark.
| | |

The Dark Night of the Soul in marketing. Why you must break before you rebuild

ByJohanna

At first, everything worked. The engagement was steady. The revenue followed. The strategies that once felt sharp and innovative became routine. Predictable, even easy. There was a time when your brand had momentum. A time when marketing felt like forward motion, not just maintenance. But then something shifted. The audience stopped responding the way they…