Stories bring us together (P3); Something to inspire

Hello again, and welcome to Part 3 of this special edition of Food for Thought. This is the final section of the three-part series. If you didn’t get last week’s Substack; here is the link to catch up. We will be back to our regular weekly stories next week.

As usual, comments are open; enjoy👌

Something to inspire

There’s an old Sinhalese expression “Salli deviyange malli”; meaning money is God’s little brother… It’s a common sentiment—money might not buy happiness, but it sure does solve a lot of problems. 

The thing is—money plays an essential role in our lives. We buy our water, we buy our food, we buy a bed to sleep on, we buy a house to live in, we buy transport to get around, we buy plants to grow in our garden; just about everything in our lives is purchased. And I think these transactional relationships and dependencies we created, live outside cultural identities and political divides; and I’m grateful for it. 

Sometimes people and businesses go to a great extent for money. Like changing their identity to improve their commercial prospects. A company might change the name of its product to better suit market expectations. Similarly, someone could change their surname to create a more marketable identity. 

In my field of work, this is what we call rebranding.

A brand identity is usually inherited and moulded by outside influences; cultural or societal assimilation. Similar to how people adopt a surname as part of a community; marital and family ties. Not to be confused with personality; which emerges from within and is built from experiences. The two (identity and personality) have a reciprocal relationship and change over time; some faster than others. Today I’m going to focus on identity and how it is shaped by the stories we believe.

Before 1997, this was Google's original name and logo… Seriously.

The meaning of a name can change over time; usually by the stories they become known for. Take for example a popular Sri Lankan surname like De Silva. Beyond its common indexical significance, it is rooted in colonial history. There’s also its Latin meaning; of the forest or woodland. These are story options to identify with.

The hybridity of Sri Lankan surnames appears to emphasize the cross-cultural elements of their origin stories. At one point in time, someone became a De Silva because they converted or married into a Catholic family, or mostly probably because it made life easier in a colonial society. A Catholic name provided access to government positions and titles. The branding business works in the same fashion; changing identity can be good for business…

Companies sometimes change their name or identity to better align with cultural and societal frameworks. For example, in 2020 Quaker Oats acknowledged that the identity of their Aunt Jemima products was based on a racial stereotype; 132 years later. Now they’ve rebranded the product line to Pearl Milling Company; a name that references the original mill where the pancake mix was created in 1888. The rebranding has removed the offensive elements and still points to the history of the business. 

...and just like that, it's a new story.

Origin stories give meaning to the names we use to identify. During the Spanish Inquisition, the plan was to rid the entire region of heresy and unite the empire under one orthodoxy. Whoever wasn’t killed, was inspired to convert or expelled. Hundreds of thousands of Sephardic Jews (Spanish Jews) adopted Catholic names to avoid persecution. Amongst them were surnames like De Silva, Pereira, Nunes, Gomes, Dias, Fernando, Cardoso, Mendes, and Pinto to name a few.

Stories can define multiple facets of an identity. In this way, they shape how we see ourselves and others in the world. When stories are capsuled into bite-size ideas, like for example on social media and news; it orchestras a particular narrative. Our devices parcel the world into a frame that leaves little room for context. Short stories are easy to share. This often has a polarizing effect by either downplaying the significance of certain aspects or sensationalizing the most shocking elements of an identity. Framing and structuring information is, essentially what storytelling comes down to. 

This person is good; this person is bad…

This approach usually works to evoke emotions, shape perceptions, and persuade an audience to make a decision. Well-crafted narratives target the affinities or fears of a particular audience. Yet, commerce seems to encourage connections that transcend boundaries created by cultural, religious and political stories.

We still import from other countries, we still order products from other cities, we still get our produce from the market, and we still need each. Twenty-first-century living requires us to foster relationships that are largely driven by economic needs rather than story alignment. Surprisingly, commerce seems to help bridge divides and underlines a fundamental element of our society; we are interconnected. Our shared interest as consumers, even if it’s economic, can lead to collaborative efforts and mutual understanding. Perhaps we are more connected through reliance than cultural myths and political stories.

Food for thought.

Stories bring us together (P2): Something to understand and something to buy

This is Part 2 of our three-part edition of Food for Thought. If you didn’t read Part 1, you probably should. Here is the link to catch up. The third and final part is here. Let’s get into it…

Something to understand: 

We tend to be biased when it comes to the stories we make for ourselves or those we love. I remember in high school, my Canadian History books downplayed the exploitation and violence inflicted on the First Nations people. Those who win conflicts often have the power to shape narratives to their advantage. They usually showcase achievements, and emphasize perspectives, while potentially marginalizing or erasing others. A story’s hero and villain often depend on who’s paying the bill.  

Something to buy 

Most people don’t like to be used or manipulated; especially when it comes to marketing. When businesses try to connect with a new consumer group, they often risk missing the mark. 

The time Kendall Jenner ended racism by handing a policeman a Pepsi.

The failure of the 2017 Pepsi "Live for Now" campaign wasn’t the cringy title; it was because Pepsi was chasing a popular narrative. Jumping onto a trending narrative has the longevity of a high school popularity.  But when companies get the narrative right; they win all the business. Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign boosted sales from $2 billion to $4 billion in three years. They took an authentic approach and adopted a narrative that challenged stereotypes and beauty norms. How they told the story played a key role in their success; it was perceptive and attuned to the environment and social dynamics of their target market. As we say… “Always be selling, just don’t be an asshole about it”

…and no one even noticed that the same company that makes Dove soap, also makes Fair and Lovely; just saying.

A business can quickly gain trust or approval by association; like adopting a surname to join a community. Dove’s narrative was legitimate because it had the right consumer insights and the appropriate people telling the story. I’m emphasizing appropriateness because authenticity is hard to buy. In the same way, students leverage institutional accreditation to gain recognition and approval in their professional lives, businesses adopt narratives and use endorsements to gain appeal and trust. Legitimacy by credit.

The strategic use of narratives can add credibility to a business’s reputation. Authentic stories, while challenging to attain, become valuable when aligned with consumer insights. Some businesses will go to great lengths to achieve that level of positioning, fostering relationships and dependencies that transcend cultural and political divides. By leveraging authentic connections, businesses can create new lasting impressions and build trust, while still selling the same soda and soap they did the year before.

Food for thought…

Stories bring us together (P1): Something to listen to and something to look at

Something to listen to

Few stories seem to hold as much attention as the ones told by a survivor; they tap into universal themes of resilience, strength, and hope. These narratives often reveal our incredible ability to overcome adversity. 

“If I tell the sorrows of my heart it will burn my tongue, If I keep it in my heart I’m afraid it will burn me from the inside. But If I let it out, I fear that it will burn the world” - a father who lost his sons.

I’m listening to Yuval Noah Harari discuss how stories can unite or divide us. Some lead to cooperation, others lead to conflict. Wars are fought not just over resources or territory but over the underlying stories that justify and give meaning to those resources and territories. 

And we can also change our minds about stories too. I’m thinking of "The General" by Dispatch; particularly the lyrics "Take a shower, shine your shoes, you got no time to lose," It's a song about the futility of war. It tells the story of a war-weary general who, after a profound realization, urges his soldiers to abandon the fight and go live their lives. 

There is a term for when a positive psychological change occurs as a result of experiencing a highly challenging circumstance; they call it post-traumatic growth. I think, to a certain degree, we’ve all experienced or witnessed this at some point. It’s a soft sage-like patience in the moment of crisis; a profound calmness and understanding. 

Listen to Nina Simone's live recording of Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Some messages are more powerful when spoken softly. I feel gratitude when I listen to this song. You’ll recognize the survivor in her voice. 

These are our shared myths; they aren’t epic stories of gods and nations, they are personal narratives of survival. If you are into these moods, check out my Change is Gonna Come playlist. Fair warning, these are big feelings songs.

Something to look at

There’s a beautiful film about a man named Mr. Badii (played by Homayoun Ershadi), who drives through the outskirts of Tehran, searching for someone to help him with his plan to end his life. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami and set in contemporary Iran. It’s called "Taste of Cherry" and is a visual masterpiece in my view. The film goes into some deep existential questions about human connection, and life and death—these are big themes we all are familiar with, regardless of cultural background. This is an example of how stories can bridge cultural gaps and connect us through common human experiences.

It's a bit of a slow-paced film with moments of dialogue. Long takes and stationary shots allow the scenes to unfold naturally without cuts. This kind of visual and narrative strategy creates a space for the audience to get to know the story's characters.

This is a good way to approach brand development. It’s better to give enough time between changes for customers to familiarize themselves with the difference. We often refer to this as the 25% rule; as the minimum amount to retain. Gradual changes over time help maintain familiarity and trust with existing customers.

I often advise entrepreneurs to approach developing their business identity and personality similarly. Sometimes the core identity doesn’t emerge at first; I’ve worked with businesses that start with a particular idea, and by the time they launch, they’ve changed their entire model. So I find it’s better to leave room for the brand to grow along the same path as the business. 

Businesses are like people, as they grow so does their sense of identity and personality. Let the business story unfold naturally. A logo will become more meaningful over time. This is why I think a brand is as much built on reputation as it is on vision. The stories we tell shape identities and perceptions.