Our Top 10 StoryBrand Website Examples 2023
By now, you’ve likely caught on that StoryBrand is kind of a big deal here at Fruitful. If you’re unfamiliar, check out our podcast episode, What is StoryBrand? to learn about the framework and what makes it such a powerful messaging tool.
Have you ever wondered how a Brand Strategist uses a StoryBrand BrandScript to create the landing page and messaging on a website? We gathered our top 10 StoryBranded websites for an inside look at how a StoryBrand Certified agency uses a BrandScript to create a compelling message and website to suit different business needs.
StoryBrand for recruiting.
A StoryBrand BrandScript isn’t just a tool for creating compelling and persuasive messaging to attract customers, sometimes a website’s messaging goal is to attract the right employees. So how do you use StoryBrand for recruiting?
At Thrasher Group, they realized that the secret to recruitment success was creating messaging that tells a compelling story. So how did they do it? By defining their ideal candidate as the hero in a relatable journey, they crafted an engaging message to attract top-notch employees.
For Thrasher Group, the hero is the ideal candidate who wants the opportunity to work in an environment where, unlike other employers, their job is more than just a job, it’s a future. By exposing the problem that candidates face when job prospecting, Thrasher positions itself as the solution and garners its authority by highlighting the fact that the organization promotes 25% of its employees each year.
What makes StoryBrand so powerful for an organization’s recruitment brand is the adaptability of the framework to suit multiple recruitment needs. For Thrasher, we used a broad approach to their messaging, targeting candidates to fill multiple positions. A different approach at StoryBranding for a recruiting brand, could target an ideal candidate that fits a specific role or experiences a different problem related to their career. The great thing about StoryBrand for recruiting is that you can create a different BrandScript for each of your recruitment needs and bring your candidates into the story.
StoryBrand for nonprofit organizations.
Many nonprofit leaders ask “does StoryBrand work for nonprofits?” Whether you’re a for-profit organization or nonprofit, StoryBrand is the most powerful messaging tool to tell your hero’s story and it all starts with the BrandScript. The BrandScript lays the foundation for your messaging, starting with identifying the hero of the story.
For nonprofits, identifying the hero can go one of two ways; the hero can be the recipient of the gift or the hero can be the donor. You may be wondering, why isn’t the organization itself the hero? StoryBrand uses the centuries old power of the hero’s journey storytelling archetype, placing your audience as the hero and you as their guide.
Millard Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization that benefits students, families and educators within the Millard School District by helping Millard students overcome educational obstacles. Donations to the organization fund powerful programs that enhance the learning experience and benefit Millard families in need. For MPSF, identifying the donor as the hero brought clarity to the messaging strategy for the website. By taking this approach, the messaging calls upon the donor who feels the need to give back to Millard families and wants to be a difference maker in their community in the most impactful way possible.
Messaging for nonprofits.
Messaging for nonprofits can be approached from a couple different strategies: the donor is the hero, or, the recipient is the hero. Each strategy has its own benefits and ultimately, both serve the same purpose in benefiting the recipient. Deciding whether to approach your hero story from the donor’s journey or the recipient’s is dependent on what motivates your donor to take action. In the case of MPSF, the donor fills the role of the hero and is called to action to fulfill a need within their community- to rise to the call to provide more learning opportunities kids wouldn’t get in public school otherwise. Fruitful client and nonprofit, Access Period took a similar approach with its messaging.
How do you create a clear message about complex issues?
Access Period is an Omaha nonprofit whose mission is to remove the stigma around the discussion of period poverty, an issue affecting more than 22 million people nationwide. Creating a clear message about a stigmatized issue requires research, creativity and clarity of vision. The messaging for Access Period had to be informative and persuasive, educating the audience about the unrealized issue of period poverty that as many as 1 in 4 people have experienced while breaking down the stigma with clear, straightforward language that speaks directly to their hero. You can read more about Access Period’s mission and all the details of their rebrand here.
StoryBrand messaging for families in need.
Though technically not a nonprofit, Better Living has an important mission whose messaging works in a similar way to that of nonprofits.
Better Living Foster Care and Family Services in Omaha, Nebraska, serves families seeking foster care services and family reunification support. We approached the landing page messaging for Better Living from the perspective of the families they serve. Since their audience has the potential to have a variety of different needs, it was appropriate to take a broader approach that speaks to families who want the tools to stay together, reunite and gain the skills to get stronger.
StoryBrand for B2B
An effective B2B BrandScript will drive at the problem over and over and paint the picture of success both in imagery and messaging.
Telos Actuarial is an Omaha based B2B specializing in actuarial consulting for insurance companies who focus on providing health and life insurance products to seniors.
Identifying the hero for Telos required exploring how their audience views themselves, their goals for success and what the stakes are if they fail. To paint this picture, Telos had to speak directly to the hero’s “want”: to create and manage insurance products that sell. In fact, to make their hero statement crystal clear, they say exactly that in their website headline, leaving no room for interpretation about what it is they do and what it is their audience wants.
You may be wondering why the hero isn’t the seniors needing insurance products. During a BrandScript meeting, a Brand Strategist works with the client to identify the true aspirational identity of the target audience for their product. Sometimes, but not always, it can take some time during the BrandScript exercise to discover what truly motivates the hero.
True North Advising Group provides organizational and leadership advising for business, government and military. To make True North’s messaging impactful we focused the problem statement on a very clear pain-point leaders often face: when your ability to be an effective leader is hindered by things outside your control. No matter what type of leadership role someone may be in whether it’s business, leading a peer group assignment or being a parent, we have all experienced forces that affect our ability to be the type of leader we want. This universal problem is easy to identify with and easy to expose to light and repeat throughout the landing page, effectively painting the picture of success after working with True North Advising Group.
StoryBrand for B2C
StoryBranding a business-to-consumer brand will almost always place the customer as the hero. All the messaging will stoke the problem and emphasize the aspirational identity and how the brand solves the problem.
Good Life Eyecare Kids specializes in eye health for kids. Good Life’s website messaging emphasizes how hard it is to find good pediatric eyecare in a city the size of Omaha and how as a parent, you want to be confident in the complete health of your child.
These points do two things: identify the problem and the aspirational identity of the parent. Why are these two elements so important? The aspirational identity is what the parent wants to be able to call themself after their probem is solved; the why behind what. The aspirational identity is what motivates the parent along their journey, it’s highly personal to the individual which is what makes it such a powerful element of the BrandScript.
You can’t have a great story without conflict. The problem statement in the BrandScript exposes the pain points the problem causes and allows the guide to agitate the problem over and over, painting the picture of what’s at risk if the problem persists: “Choosing the right eye doctor for your kids can be difficult.”
Parents of small children know that taking a child to the doctor, dentist or optometrist can be a battle, especially if it isn’t a kid-friendly environment. Good Life Eyecare removes the hurdles of finding an eye doctor that works with children and makes a fun, kid centric environment where parents will be confident their child is receiving the best care possible.
StoryBrand for Education
StoryBranding a school, college community center, or an afterschool program presents three unique messaging challenges. For Spark, Lenawee Christian School, and John Paul II, there was no one-size-fits-all approach to their BrandScripts.
Spark, is an after-school program offered by Millard Public Schools Foundation of Omaha. Spark offers hassle-free childcare available at the child’s school, where children can overcome educational hurdles and learn in fun new ways. Spark eliminates the need for transportation, having to worry about a babysitter and having to worry about childcare when school is closed.
To address the problem and solution in a clear, concise headline on the landing page the messaging had to be short and sweet: Childcare shouldn’t be a hassle. The problem is further agitated throughout the page and a simple plan and solution are presented.
Check availability
Enroll
Be confident you’ve made the right choice
Lenawee Christian School offers parents the peace of mind that their child is getting an education to be proud of, that is based on a foundation of faith that helps the child reach their full potential. Crafting the Lenawee BrandScript presented the unique challenge of creating a message around the problem the barrier to entry high tuition presents for many parents wanting a private school education.
Similar to the headline on Spark’s landing page, the headline for Lenawee does some heavy lifting in very few words. Affordable Christian Education You Can Believe In. This headline addresses both the aspirational identity and character want from the BrandScript while also addressing the problem- lots to unpack in just 7 words!
Aspirational Identity: A parent who is making the right choice when it comes to upholding their faith as a foundation for their child’s education
Character want: A school that aligns with what they believe.
Problem: Private education is expensive!
Another unique messaging challenge in education is how to appeal to the students themselves, rather than in our two previous examples where the messaging is direct to the parents. John Paul II Newman Center offers college students a place to meet fellow students, create lasting friendships, and grow in their Catholic faith. JPII appeals directly to college students, solving the problem many students face of not knowing where to start when it comes to connecting with fellow students of the same faith.
