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Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story
Winner Book of The Year Stevie® Silver Award Winner NYC Big Book Award Winner Best Public Relations Book of All Time Book Authority Winner Best New Storytelling E-Books Book Authority Winner Marketing and Public Relations Independent Press Award
Written by the award-winning storyteller Miri Rodriguez at Microsoft, this actionable guide goes beyond content strategy and, instead, demonstrates how to leverage brand storytelling in the marketing mix to strengthen brand engagement and achieve long-term growth, with advice from brands like Expedia, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adobe and Google.
Despite understanding essential storytelling techniques, brands continue to explain how their product or service can help the customer, rather than showcasing how the customer's life has changed as a result of them.
Brand Storytelling gets back to the heart of brand loyalty, consumer behaviour and engagement as a business using storytelling to trigger the emotions that humans are driven by. It provides a step by step guide to assess, dismantle, and rebuild a brand story, shifting the brand from a 'hero' to 'sidekick' mentality, and positioning the customer as a key influencer to motivate the audience.
Simplifying where to begin, how to benchmark success and ensure a consistent brand voice throughout every department, this book clearly shows how readers can align an emotive connection with the customer's personal values, experiences and aspirations, and how that will enable brand leaders, employees and influencers to celebrate and strengthen brand engagement for the long-term, rather than simply trying to win it.
Clarifying why machine-learning, AI and automation only tell one side of the story, this book will inspire you with cutting edge interviews and case studies from leading brands to tap into authentic brand loyalty and human connection.
Written by the award-winning storyteller Miri Rodriguez at Microsoft, this actionable guide goes beyond content strategy and, instead, demonstrates how to leverage brand storytelling in the marketing mix to strengthen brand engagement and achieve long-term growth, with advice from brands like Expedia, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adobe and Google.
Despite understanding essential storytelling techniques, brands continue to explain how their product or service can help the customer, rather than showcasing how the customer's life has changed as a result of them.
Brand Storytelling gets back to the heart of brand loyalty, consumer behaviour and engagement as a business using storytelling to trigger the emotions that humans are driven by. It provides a step by step guide to assess, dismantle, and rebuild a brand story, shifting the brand from a 'hero' to 'sidekick' mentality, and positioning the customer as a key influencer to motivate the audience.
Simplifying where to begin, how to benchmark success and ensure a consistent brand voice throughout every department, this book clearly shows how readers can align an emotive connection with the customer's personal values, experiences and aspirations, and how that will enable brand leaders, employees and influencers to celebrate and strengthen brand engagement for the long-term, rather than simply trying to win it.
Clarifying why machine-learning, AI and automation only tell one side of the story, this book will inspire you with cutting edge interviews and case studies from leading brands to tap into authentic brand loyalty and human connection.
232 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2020
59 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2020
Amazing even if you don't work on marketing
Miri did an amazing job explaining why storytelling matters, how storytelling should be important to everyone, what's storytelling, how to be a great storyteller, and much more, through theory and her own stories (LOVED the Morocco one btw 😍). I highly recommend this book independently from the field/area of work you're in.
Miri did an amazing job explaining why storytelling matters, how storytelling should be important to everyone, what's storytelling, how to be a great storyteller, and much more, through theory and her own stories (LOVED the Morocco one btw 😍). I highly recommend this book independently from the field/area of work you're in.
December 5, 2020
I thought it was good, though very wordy and heavy on the industry jargon. Definitely some very useful ideas, but maybe at a higher level than I am ready for.
I found the book's insights into modern issues surrounding marketing to be very useful. I'd be interested to pick the authors brain more, especially on the design principles and how that works in telling a brand story.
I also enjoy asking questions to try and make these ideas more tangible, and the interview section in the last chapter was probably my favorite part for that very reason. Overall a good read that I will likely have to come back to in the future.
I found the book's insights into modern issues surrounding marketing to be very useful. I'd be interested to pick the authors brain more, especially on the design principles and how that works in telling a brand story.
I also enjoy asking questions to try and make these ideas more tangible, and the interview section in the last chapter was probably my favorite part for that very reason. Overall a good read that I will likely have to come back to in the future.
June 30, 2025
I picked up this book expecting practical advice on marketing—and I got that—but what stayed with me was something deeper: the emotional intelligence behind every great brand story.
Miri Rodriguez does a brilliant job of reminding us that storytelling isn't just a buzzword. It’s a human strategy. At the heart of this book lies a powerful idea: brands grow not when they place themselves at the center of the story, but when they make the customer the hero.
One of the most transformative shifts this book advocates is moving from a “brand-as-hero” mindset to a “brand-as-guide” approach. Instead of showcasing how amazing your product or company is, you showcase how your customer's life becomes better, easier, or more meaningful because of it. That shift changes everything—from messaging to content design to team culture.
Rodriguez also dives into the emotional components of storytelling—empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity. This resonated with me because too often, brands try to sound polished and perfect, but forget that it’s human imperfections and emotional honesty that truly connect with audiences.
What I especially appreciated were the real-world brand case studies from giants like Coca-Cola, Adobe, and McDonald’s. These weren’t just feel-good stories; they were dissected to show why the storytelling worked, what emotion it tapped into, and how it reinforced brand loyalty and growth.
Another strength of the book is its structure—it doesn’t just tell you what to do, it shows you how to do it. The step-by-step guidance on reworking your brand narrative, identifying emotional triggers, and rebuilding your brand story was incredibly actionable. If you’re a marketer, founder, or content strategist, this isn’t just a book—it’s a playbook.
Good news for Vietnamese readers: This book has been translated and published by Alpha Books under the title “Kể chuyện thương hiệu: Đặt khách hàng vào trung tâm câu chuyện của bạn”. It’s an excellent local edition, maintaining both the clarity and emotion of the original.
Personal Takeaway:
This book reminded me that stories aren’t just for selling—they’re for serving. When we tell the right story, we don’t just market a brand, we build relationships. And in a world full of noise, connection is what ultimately cuts through. Highly recommended for anyone who believes marketing is more than metrics—it's about meaning.
Miri Rodriguez does a brilliant job of reminding us that storytelling isn't just a buzzword. It’s a human strategy. At the heart of this book lies a powerful idea: brands grow not when they place themselves at the center of the story, but when they make the customer the hero.
One of the most transformative shifts this book advocates is moving from a “brand-as-hero” mindset to a “brand-as-guide” approach. Instead of showcasing how amazing your product or company is, you showcase how your customer's life becomes better, easier, or more meaningful because of it. That shift changes everything—from messaging to content design to team culture.
Rodriguez also dives into the emotional components of storytelling—empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity. This resonated with me because too often, brands try to sound polished and perfect, but forget that it’s human imperfections and emotional honesty that truly connect with audiences.
What I especially appreciated were the real-world brand case studies from giants like Coca-Cola, Adobe, and McDonald’s. These weren’t just feel-good stories; they were dissected to show why the storytelling worked, what emotion it tapped into, and how it reinforced brand loyalty and growth.
Another strength of the book is its structure—it doesn’t just tell you what to do, it shows you how to do it. The step-by-step guidance on reworking your brand narrative, identifying emotional triggers, and rebuilding your brand story was incredibly actionable. If you’re a marketer, founder, or content strategist, this isn’t just a book—it’s a playbook.
Good news for Vietnamese readers: This book has been translated and published by Alpha Books under the title “Kể chuyện thương hiệu: Đặt khách hàng vào trung tâm câu chuyện của bạn”. It’s an excellent local edition, maintaining both the clarity and emotion of the original.
Personal Takeaway:
This book reminded me that stories aren’t just for selling—they’re for serving. When we tell the right story, we don’t just market a brand, we build relationships. And in a world full of noise, connection is what ultimately cuts through. Highly recommended for anyone who believes marketing is more than metrics—it's about meaning.
January 17, 2023
"Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand" by Miri Rodriguez is a comprehensive guide to building a brand that resonates with customers using design thinking approach. The book is well-written and easy to follow, with plenty of real-world examples and practical tips for creating a strong brand story. The author's emphasis on putting the customer at the center of the brand is especially noteworthy, and serves as a reminder of the importance of understanding and connecting with your audience.
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration in order to create innovative solutions. It is commonly used in product design, but can also be applied to a wide range of fields, including business, education, and public policy. In the book, Rodriguez explains how design thinking can be applied to branding and how to use it to establish a deeper connection with customers.
The book's step by step approach follows the five-step process of Design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. In the empathize stage, designers seek to understand the needs, wants, and desires of the end user. The define stage is used to articulate the problem or opportunity. Ideation is the process of generating a wide range of ideas to solve the problem. In the prototype phase, designers create a physical or digital representation of their ideas, and in the test phase they gather feedback and iterate on their design.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to build a strong brand and establish a deeper connection with their customers. The book's approach to design thinking will help you to understand how to use empathy, experimentation and iteration in order to create innovative solutions to connect with your customers, and build a brand that resonates with them.
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration in order to create innovative solutions. It is commonly used in product design, but can also be applied to a wide range of fields, including business, education, and public policy. In the book, Rodriguez explains how design thinking can be applied to branding and how to use it to establish a deeper connection with customers.
The book's step by step approach follows the five-step process of Design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. In the empathize stage, designers seek to understand the needs, wants, and desires of the end user. The define stage is used to articulate the problem or opportunity. Ideation is the process of generating a wide range of ideas to solve the problem. In the prototype phase, designers create a physical or digital representation of their ideas, and in the test phase they gather feedback and iterate on their design.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to build a strong brand and establish a deeper connection with their customers. The book's approach to design thinking will help you to understand how to use empathy, experimentation and iteration in order to create innovative solutions to connect with your customers, and build a brand that resonates with them.
October 14, 2021
Brand Storytelling kembali ke jantung dari bisnis strategi yaitu, brand loyalty, customer behaviour dan engagement. Mereka menggunakan storytelling untuk membangkitkan emosi customer yang menggerakkan mereka sebagai manusia. Buku ini memperlihatkan langkah demi langkah pendekatan itu. Mulai dari bagaimana mengevaluasi, membongkar, dan membangun kembali sebuah Brand Story. Dengan demikian, hal itu akan mengubah merek dari mentalitas ‘pahlawan’ menjadi ‘sahabat’, dan memposisikan pelanggan sebagai pemberi pengaruh utama untuk memotivasi audiens. https://blog.periplus.com/brand-story...
Buku ini memberikan penjelasan sederhana dari mana harus memulai, bagaimana mengukur kesuksesan dan memastikan suara merek yang konsisten di setiap departemen. Buku ini dengan jelas menunjukkan bagaimana pembaca dapat menyelaraskan hubungan emosional dengan nilai, pengalaman, dan aspirasi pribadi pelanggan. Juga, bagaimana hal itu akan memungkinkan para pemimpin perusahaan, karyawan, dan influencer untuk mempertajam dan memperkuat brand engagement untuk jangka panjang. https://blog.periplus.com/brand-story...
Buku ini memberikan penjelasan sederhana dari mana harus memulai, bagaimana mengukur kesuksesan dan memastikan suara merek yang konsisten di setiap departemen. Buku ini dengan jelas menunjukkan bagaimana pembaca dapat menyelaraskan hubungan emosional dengan nilai, pengalaman, dan aspirasi pribadi pelanggan. Juga, bagaimana hal itu akan memungkinkan para pemimpin perusahaan, karyawan, dan influencer untuk mempertajam dan memperkuat brand engagement untuk jangka panjang. https://blog.periplus.com/brand-story...
August 15, 2025
Miri Rodriquez clearly knows what she's talking about, but Brand Storytelling suffered from the same issues that I often see in these kinds of books: they have an unnecessary amount of fluff. For example, I often found that the personal anecdotes didn't add enough to the discussion.
I learned a fair amount of new things, but some topics felt a little too surface-level for me. It might have been a better read if I didn't already have a lot of marketing knowledge. I guess I just expected more from the book, so that's on me.
I appreciated the amount of actionable steps included, though (I have the updated version that also has a workbook at the end). I will definitely be referencing it in the future.
I learned a fair amount of new things, but some topics felt a little too surface-level for me. It might have been a better read if I didn't already have a lot of marketing knowledge. I guess I just expected more from the book, so that's on me.
I appreciated the amount of actionable steps included, though (I have the updated version that also has a workbook at the end). I will definitely be referencing it in the future.
October 15, 2021
An excellent read using a mix of personal anecdotes and technical constructs to give an overview of how to use storytelling for brands which is also applicable on a personal level. Empathy and authenticity are key factors throughout. Very well done Miri.
May 12, 2021
Already putting the advice into action. Definitely a book I'll keep coming back to as a resource.
February 19, 2022
Good info; very textbook like
September 22, 2025
Phần hay nhất của cuốn sách là chương cuối, phỏng vấn những nhân vật đã thành danh trong ngành.
October 4, 2023
Miri has written a book about storytelling, so what? There are lots of books on storytelling and many people will tell you they are experts, but this book is different.
Miri knows about storytelling; he has come from the storytelling school of hard-knocks having worked with IT technical people who must be the hardest people to work with when it comes to storytelling. My apologies, not trying to offend people, setting the scene and metaphor.
This book is a masterclass on storytelling and in it Miri weaves her own story. The book is full of examples and there is also a workbook to get you started. If you are in marketing, you should really read this book, understand real storytelling, because I know for sure you are not doing it right currently and this book will set you on the right path.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews