Your brand, whether you know it or not, is made up of stories—your stories, your employees’ stories and the stories others tell about you.

Your story is more than what you tell people, it’s also what they believe about you based on their experience of interacting with your company. Your story is more than a catchy tagline. It’s rooted in your own experience and your company’s purpose.

A story that really stands out to us is the one behind the brand “Life is Good”. “Life is Good” starts with two brothers struggling to keep their spirits and business alive, until “three simple words changed their lives forever.” These three words, “Life is Good” grew bigger than their brand – by connecting and sharing with others, others started sharing their own stories, shaping the story of “Life is Good”.

A good story is authentic, it’s creative, intimate and emotional. It inspires action and takes the audience on a journey with the brand, like “Life is Good”. Great stories affect the way we feel, the way we think and react and how we behave. To tell your story, first know who you are or, more precisely, who your company is. Your story’s main character (your business) has a personality. What’s it like?

In the case of the “Life is Good” brand, their business personality didn’t really click until they brought on board the brand character “Jake” as a representative of their products. Jake’s smiling face became the brand protagonist for their story. His was the voice behind their statement that “Life is Good.” It’s this ongoing, overarching perspective of optimism that is the heart and soul of their brand story and what has built their success.

How authentic is your story? Take the Brand Traffic Control Assessment and find out.