Storytelling framework in action

[kara_susvilla]

Regardless of the story you’re trying to tell and how you’re trying to tell it, storytelling has three essential elements:

• Characters
• Conflict
• Resolution

Choose one of your favorite brands, and tell their business's story by answering the below questions.

• Who is the brand?
• Who is their audience?
• What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it?

*To learn more about this, check out The Power of Storytelling lesson via HubSpot Academy. 

[uyenpu]

Who is the brand?
Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever. It focuses on skincare and hygiene products while promoting natural and inclusive beauty.

Who is their audience?
Their main audience is women and young girls who want gentle skincare products and positive representation of real beauty.

What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it?
Dove helps women overcome unrealistic beauty standards and low self-confidence. They do this through inclusive advertising and campaigns like the Campaign for Real Beauty, which features diverse body types, ages, and skin tones

[UMalic]

Brand: Papa's Burger New York

Audience: Hungry working class of New York

Resolution: Coming home from work in a subway after a long day of work, my Dad was hungry, him being a guy that loves to eat bought a big sandwitch, and after that was still hungry. He looked around and he was mad. Mad thay he was still hungry and he paid 25 dollars for a sandwitch. Sick of his job, sick of small portions, he got an idea. He decided to open up a burger shop, but he couldnt tell his wife, so he prepared her a burger, a burger she couldn't eat. I remember sitting at a table with them, he made us all a burger that we could not eat and then presented an idea. Mom didn't like it at first but then they came to an agreement. They had some money saved up, borrowed some money and started a burger shop together.

Now, 30 years later, my mom retired, my son comes and helps me like i helped my dad. My dad is no longer with us but Papa's burgers are still serving the same size meals for the working people of New York.

Come and try our famous Papa's Burger, they come only in one size so don't have a breakfast!

[Eazytunez]

Brand: Samsung
Audience:Tech-savvy individuals, professionals, and families looking for high-quality electronics like smartphones, TVs, and appliances.
Challenge: Overcoming the fear of choosing the wrong brand, and getting devices that don't meet performance expectations (e.g., slow processing, poor camera quality).

How they'rehelping: Samsung provides high-quality devices with fast processing units, great camera quality (especially with their S series), and reliable performance across their product range. This builds trust – if you've had a good Samsung phone, you're likely to consider their TVs or appliances.

[lean]

The brand is Hi-tec sports.

Their audience are  people who are into outdoor activities (Hiking)

What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it?

Hiking requires both a tough and comfortable shoe so by creating a shoe built for comfort and mobility is the best combo for hikers.

[JTrachta]

The brand is Arizona Sun. Their audience are people who seek skin care and skin moisturizer. They address the challenge of wanting effective skin treatment products that use ingredients which are friendly to the environment and not tested on animals. Customers are guaranteed satisfaction or their money back.

[AMalie3]

I am choosing the brand Live Nation. Their audience is music lovers who enjoy live music. They are trying to overcome the challenges of pricing to certain artist. To help with this, they are offering lower prices or specials that fans can take part in. This allows them to pull in new customers who thought that concerts would cost to much for them to attend. 

[RMehra38]

Who is the brand?
Inde wild- a skincare/haircare brand blending modern science with ayurveda

Who is their audience?

Gen Z and Millennial consumers who care about clean beauty and wellness and want to stay connected with the indian roots 

What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it?
Inde Wild helps customers overcome the challenge of finding beauty products that are both natural and effective while still fitting into a modern routine.
Modernizing Ayurvedic ingredients with scientifically tested formulations

[protzo]

Overherd oat milk: a brand who have created powdered oat milk
Audience - a combination of vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, and general oat milk lovers
Challenge: buying lots of cartons of oat milk can become expensive, take up lots of space, and the cartons can be tricky to recycle. They point out that these products are mostly just water - this product you just add water to the powder, give it a shake/stir and you have an amazing tasting oat milk that saves on money, space, and huge amounts of packaging waste 🙂

[OllieN]

Who is the brand? KILLSTAR

Who is their audience? Goth, alternative, punk, and/or emo fashion communities. 

What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it? Dark, gothic clothing is hard to find nowadays unless you want to shop with fast fashion brands like Shein or Romwe. However, Killstar puts that type of fashion right in the palm of your hand by bringing together both traditional and modernized, trendy styles to one single website for your viewing pleasure. Their clothing is overall well-made for the price point and niche market while also appealing to a broad variety of edgy customers. 

[larceblake]

Who is the brand?
Familiar Faces is a community-driven event brand that creates curated experiences centered around music, culture, and connection. What began as intimate gatherings in Los Angeles has grown into a multi-city event series that brings together artists, creatives, and young professionals through shared social experiences.

Who is their audience?
Familiar Faces serves culturally engaged young professionals and creatives in their 20s and 30s who enjoy music, social gatherings, and discovering new communities. Many live in major cities and are looking for experiences that feel authentic, welcoming, and culturally aligned with their lifestyle.

What challenge are they helping their audience overcome? How are they doing it?
Many people in large cities struggle to find social environments that feel both high-quality and genuinely community-oriented. Traditional nightlife can often feel transactional or impersonal. Familiar Faces addresses this by hosting curated daytime events featuring trusted DJs, intentional venues, and a community-first atmosphere that encourages people to connect, meet new friends, and build relationships — turning strangers into familiar faces.

[MSinha28]

BRAND STORY: RARE BEAUTY

Rare Beauty is a cosmetics brand founded by Selena Gomez that promotes self-acceptance and authentic beauty. The brand targets young women and diverse communities who feel pressured by unrealistic beauty standards. Rare Beauty addresses this challenge by encouraging conversations around self-esteem and mental health. Through its Rare Impact initiative, the brand donates funds to mental health organizations and works to improve access to mental health resources.

[AnnQVN]

Brand Story: Nike

• Who is the brand? Nike, a global leader in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment. Their identity is built on the spirit of determination and the "Just Do It" attitude.

• Who is their audience? Everyone. While they cater to professional athletes, their primary audience is anyone with a body who wants to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle.

• What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it? They help people overcome self-doubt and physical inertia. Nike does this by providing high-performance gear and inspirational messaging that shifts the focus from "I can't" to "I just did."

[RKale11]

In 1999, three friends went to South Africa for a holiday. After listening to a radio ad for rugby ticket booking, an idea popped into a friend's head.

That friend was Ashish Hemrajani, CEO and Co-founder of BookMyShow. And the idea was to digitize ticket booking in India, starting with movies. The other two friends were Parikshiit Dar and Rajesh Balpande, who are also the co-founders of BookMyShow.

The goal was to make ticket booking convenient by eliminating the need to stand in long queues at the ticket counters. Today, BookMyShow is India's largest online entertainment ticketing platform offering tickets for movies, sports, and live events.

[ABombay]

The Black Market Boutique is a cozy and vibrant shop that sells jewellery, clothes, ceramics and more. In the bustling art-focused city of Halifax where tourism is one of the major economies, BMB presents a melting pot of culture and arts by bringing authentic crafts from India, Bali, Thailand and Nepal. It appeals to the creative community in this city by connecting the arts from other cultures as well as attracts tourists to take a colourful of souvenir with them.

[AwammaMashooda]

Character :Crocs,

Crocs is a global footwear brand known for comfortable  lightweight, and casual shoes designed for everyday use.

Conflict :

Many people struggled to find the shoes that were both comfortable and stylish, especiually for long hours of walking or standing.

Resolution : Crocs introduced innovative crosslite foam footwear that provides comfort durability and a unique style, making it popular worldwide.

crocs targets young consumers, professionals, and everyday users who prefer light weight and comfortable shoes.

Crocs proved that comfort can also become a fashion statement.

[Estherr]

Character:

In 2016, Olugbenga Agboola and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji founded Flutterwave to solve a major problem for African businesses. Their goal was to create a platform that made it simple to send and receive payments locally and internationally.

Conflict:

At the time, African businesses faced fragmented payment systems, struggled with cross-border transactions, and found it hard to receive payments from global customers. These issues held many companies back from growing.

Resolution:

Flutterwave developed a digital payment platform that connects businesses to multiple payment options across Africa and beyond. By simplifying transactions, they empowered businesses to accept payments from anywhere in the world. Today, Flutterwave is a leading fintech company, driving digital commerce across the continent.

[farhankhan]

I am Farhan, and I started my journey in 2024 when I was in class 10 as a fitness personality to get out from deprassion about not be succesfull. not be experienced, but committed, and afterward, lots of hard work and patience pay off. And I got the best physique in my entire bodyline, a personal trainer, and a nutritionist.

Lots of people face bad times in their lives. and think that it's over for them.

first all of you need to decide whether you need to make a change in your life or remain in the situation that is happening right now. afterward you need to start from anything doesn't matter what your situation is. What people says how you will start messy but consistent, and during your journey, everything will be sorted. Don't be afraid from faliure. Start your journey by selecting your niche, be disciplined and consistent, and don't be attracted by shiny things that are not practical. So, I see you on top.

[MHof94]

Brand:
- Unreal Engine provide software solutions for videogame developers.

Audience:
- Game developers
- Software developers
- Animation Studios
- Producers

Audience Challenges:
- Game devs need engines to run their games. Building an in-house engine can be very time-consuming and costly. 
- Programming and coding is very time-consuming, and requires a lot of trial and error before accomplishing goals.
- Building tools from scratch takes away time from devlopment.

How They Help:
- Providing a base Engine as a starting point
- Ready to use tools
- Visual tool for coding and logic
- Pre-made Assets
- Templates

Unreal Engine helps game developers bring their stories (games) to life. 

[AnnLee]

Who is the brand?
Canva is a graphic design platform that helps people create professional visual content easily using templates, drag-and-drop tools, and customizable design elements.

Who is their audience?
Canva’s audience includes students, entrepreneurs, marketers, small business owners, content creators, and anyone who needs to create visual content but may not have professional design skills.

What challenge are they helping their audience to overcome? How are they doing it?
Many people need to create visual content but find professional design software complicated and difficult to learn. Canva addresses this challenge by providing an easy-to-use design platform with ready-made templates for presentations, social media posts, marketing materials, and more. By simplifying the design process, Canva empowers users to create visually appealing content quickly without needing advanced graphic design knowledge.

[PMalindisa]

Who is the brand?

ZENHAIR , a human hair wigs supplier. 

Audience ? 
Working women who are busy, have kids or take care of their families, attend events and or occasions. They are in the mid income earning bracket, are willing to pay a premium price for a good quality wig and peace of mind. She travels, is socially aware and has a mid level awareness of current fashion trends. 

Audience Challenges 

These women at often too busy to have extended hourly routines just to get ready, they resent spending hours at the salons just to look put together,  they value confidence and being put together but have no time for such activities so the business solves the problem by offering glueless wigs that's are ready to wear, custom coloured where necessary. The wigs take less that 10 seconds to set up and put on and helps the ladies to go about their day without worrying about glue applications, wigs falling off or poor hair quality.