Kevin Sterner :: Story

Kevin is the Creative Lead for Catalyst Conferences and Founder of Bradpoet, a design, branding, and storytelling agency.

• This stage is too big for me but it’s not too big for my God.
• The devil does everything to push us towards anonymity and indifference.
• We serve a creative God.
• God’s story is being told in letters too big for some of us to see.
• Ephesians 1:18 – may the eyes of our heart be enlightened…
• We need to aspire to be more.
• We are all storytellers.
• God is not in the business of selling Himself.
• God does not sell beautiful Apple products in clunky Microsoft packaging.
• Our God is in the business being excellent.
• He’s in the business of differentiation.
• He’s in the business of telling compelling stories.
• The Gospel is the most compelling story ever told.
• The cross is the most recognized symbol in the world.

Convincing vs Compelling

• There’s a difference between being convicing and compelling.
• Being convicing uses the power of persuasion to get into people’s minds.
• Being compelling uses excellence and causes people le to be drawn to you in their own minds.
• People are sold, but it’s in their own minds.
• Are you, or your churches, being a “me” monster when you’re telling your story?

Story Sequencing

Impression – Brand Identity + Brand Story

• Story is going on all the time, going on over the lifespan of our communications.
• We have an up-front responsibility in the process.
• Excellence has stopping power; story has staying power.
• The responsibility of brand identity is getting people stopped in their tracks.
• When you do something with excellence, it stops people… they notice.
• Your brand identity is not a logo, it’s anything that touches people that represents who you are.
• Story has staying power.
• Story’s responsibly is to draw people in.

Brand Identity

• Brand Identity creates an impression; Brand Story creates intrigue.
• Story needs to take us on a journey and create transcendence.

Brand Experience

• The Brand Experience allows people to experience, to taste and see.
• When we do that, we pay off our promise.
• We deliver what we said we would.
• Brand Experiences surprise and delight.
• Exceed expectations.

Brand Association

• Customers internalize how they feel about when they first met you
• Branding is building relational trust in storytelling.
• Are you truthful? Are we giving what we promised?
• Are you trustworthy?
• Are you temporary? We want to see relationships go the distance… we want to be a part of something we believe will be lasting.

• Branding manages and challenges perceptions.
• Read  Blue Ocean Strategy
• We can create uncontested market space.
• You can’t tell a story without good assets.
• We need to use words that have the power to move people, re-create imagination.
• “I’m on a personal mission to rid church logos with fish, crosses, and globes…”
• You need a brand that can stand beside any other brand and tell a beautiful story of what God is doing through what you are doing.
• Brochures are pre-experiences… not just paper and ink.
• People don’t get excited about copy.
• You can’t effectively tell stories unless you can effectively document stories.
• Besides a brand consultant you need a brand photographer.
• You won’t get what you need out of stock photography.

We are creating the image of the living God for the world to see… we are telling His Story!

• If you focus on the problem you will never see the solution. – Patch Adams
• Don’t see what everyone else is seeing, see what people are afraid to see.
• Look at the world differently every day.
• We have a doubting audience.
• Do something unexpected.
• Get people’s attention.
• In the end, you’ll be branded.
• We serve an excellent God who wants us to look past problems/conflict and see His Story and retell it in a way that’s irrresistable.

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