# Build the message spine

Source: *Building a StoryBrand* (2017), chapters 3–11. The book's BrandScript is a one-page set of decisions from which repeated marketing soundbites are drawn. It can describe a whole brand, a product, or a distinct customer segment. Use the narrowest level that matches the request.

## Working BrandScript

Fill this with short phrases, not polished paragraphs. Record evidence and uncertainty beside each answer.

| Element | Decide | Evidence to seek |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and desire | Who is buying or using this, in what situation? What single outcome do they want now? | Customer interviews, search terms, support requests, behavior, the actual task |
| Villain | What one real root cause makes the task hard? | Repeated customer complaints, workflow observations |
| External problem | What practical task or obstacle must be resolved? | Product use case, current workflow |
| Internal problem | What frustration, uncertainty, or embarrassment does that obstacle create? | Customer's own words; do not assign feelings without support |
| Philosophical problem | What reasonable “ought” or “shouldn't” belief gives the problem weight? | A genuine customer belief; omit if it sounds forced |
| Guide: empathy | What can the brand say that shows it understands the experience? | Real customer context, thoughtful product design |
| Guide: authority | Why can this brand credibly help? | Verified results, concise testimonials, relevant credentials, customer logos with permission |
| Process plan | What few steps take the customer from here to the result? | Actual purchase, setup, and use flow |
| Agreement plan | Which *real* commitment removes the main risk? | Written policies, support levels, trial terms, refunds, cancellation |
| Direct action | What exact next step leads toward purchase or activation? | Working destination and user intent |
| Transitional action | What useful, lower-commitment step can build trust? | Demo, free trial, sample, guide, comparison; include only when valuable |
| Failure | What specific cost or missed opportunity can the customer avoid? | Plausible, proportionate consequence of the problem |
| Success | What changes after the product works: observable result, feeling, and wider benefit? | Actual product capability and proof |
| Identity | How might the customer describe themselves before and after? | Their own aspiration, stated without belittling them |

## Make the decisions coherent

- The desire, problem, plan, and success should form **one causal chain**. If the problem is missed appointments, success should address appointments; a sudden promise of “business transformation” weakens the story.
- The villain is the source of the problem, not a rival brand by default. The book asks that it be singular, relatable, and real. “Manual scheduling” can be a useful villain when the product truly removes it; “lazy business owners” cannot.
- External, internal, and philosophical problems are layers of the *same* conflict. They do not each require a website section or a dramatic line in every asset.
- A process plan clarifies what the customer does before and/or after purchase. The book suggests roughly three to six understandable steps for complex offers. For a small SaaS screen, a single next step may be clearer.
- An agreement plan eases a real fear with a real commitment. Never improvise a guarantee, data-security claim, cancellation policy, or free trial.
- Failure needs far less space than success. Name a real downside and give the customer a practical path out of it.
- Success should close the open problem loop. Describe both the result and how the customer's day changes. An aspirational identity is useful only when the product can credibly support it.

If the brand serves several audiences with different goals, keep a broad brand promise and create separate story spines for the distinct use cases. Reuse the same core phrases across the page, paywall, emails, and sales material so the customer recognizes a single promise. The book calls these short, repeatable phrases “soundbites.”