the bible and branding

Brand stories are not meant to be rational, but to aspire for something greater

Stories are everywhere, and the best ones often make no sense at all. They are wild beyond belief, imaginative in scope and most importantly, emotionally gripping. Our ancestors knew this the best. Huddled around the firepit or through etchings on walls, they would tell these fantastical stories of fairytales, lore and myths.

Whether the stories are true or not doesn’t matter. We continue to pass them down because they’re compelling and often carry an important moral lesson to be learned about how we should aspire to live our lives.

One of the most universally compelling stories that succeeds at this is the story of Christianity. It’s a bold statement to make, but I believe that the Bible provides the most timeless and effective framework for brand storytelling.

Our lives revolve around the hero’s journey

The story of Christianity follows the ultimate hero’s journey. Sin has created a broken world and we are called to take action. This requires accepting Christ as our Savior and being born again, ultimately leading to our salvation. This powerful narrative has touched billions of people globally to embark on this journey and transform their lives.

Whether you believe in God or not, our lives revolve around this framework. We all believe that something in our lives is broken and we need to be saved. Some think we can be saved by money, power, lust or a man’s own sheer willpower. No matter what you choose to believe, the hope is that we are restored on the other side. But as seen in the hero’s journey, finding greater transformation will always require trekking into the unknown.

Brands need to take a leap of faith

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was nearly bankrupt. Many thought his vision for the company was delusional, especially when he introduced the iMac, a colorful and unconventional computer. Critics doubted its success, but Jobs famously said, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." His bold vision for Apple transformed it into one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Founders often struggle to bring their brand to life, not because they lack a story, but because they fear appearing delusional or worse, wrong about their conviction.

I get it. Growing up in a Christian household, I also feared believing in the wrong thing. As I grew older, more jaded and sought reason and knowledge for everything, I drifted away from the Church because I was unable to reconcile faith with facts.

But over the years, I began to take notice of the many brilliant minds in history that believed in God. Newton saw the complexity and order of nature as evidence of divine design. Einstein marvelled at the mystery and order of the cosmos, famously stating, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." Pascal believed that faith filled the gaps that reason could not, encapsulated in his famous "Pascal's Wager."

How could the greatest academics, thinkers and builders find the reason to believe in God? The thirst for truth and knowledge can prompt us to start a journey, but to reach transformation on the other side will almost always require letting go of our egos and taking a leap of faith.

For Founders in emerging technology spaces, an immense amount of faith is required to build and gather others to follow your delusions. Hence why we create Corporate or Brand Bibles to communicate the core tenents of an organization. It’s not meant to persuade or sell, but to guide those who have been called to action in the journey.

Give people something to aspire for

My return to faith is simply because I’ve recognized that we all operate under the narrative framework of the hero’s journey. The good news is that we will go through multiple cycles of this journey in our lifetime. Founders and brands should understand that this pattern is timeless and ingrained in our minds.

Particularly for emerging industries like crypto where visions can often seem abstract, viewing the world in the lens of this framework can help Founders have the confidence to take the leap of faith and tell their story.

But true leaders have to take the first step in the journey and call for their followers.