By GREGORY ZELLER //
Communication Strategy Group is putting its e-book where its mouth is.
The Huntington-based “brand storyteller” has powered up “Brandtelling for Business,” a free e-book detailing the methodology, efficacy and importance of not merely writing “press releases” or creating website content, but building a narrative around a brand or product.
That’s the modus operandi for the circa-2005 multimedia marketer, which specializes in “brand stories” – PR and content of all shapes and sizes – for professional-services providers, manufacturers and other businesses looking to launch a product, build brand awareness or otherwise thrive in the modern economy.
Offering the e-book for free – actually the third edition of “Brandtelling for Business,” originally released in 2015 – is all about “added value,” a cornerstone of the CSG mantra, according to founder and “chief brandteller” Arthur Germain.
“We really believe in the idea that you can tell your brand story in a unique way that adds value,” Germain told Innovate LI. “We often create e-books and checklists that we give to clients, sometimes just to help a client better understand our process – an idea of what it’s like to work with us.
“In some cases, a prospective client might read it and say, ‘OK, I’ll think about this when I write a blog or create a presentation,’” he added. “That’s good – I would rather have someone think of me as a brand storyteller, rather than another guy who’s just looking to make a buck.”
Arthur Germain: Tell us a story.
Filled with clever cartoons and invaluable insights – not only the definition of “brandtelling,” but a step-by-step guide to creating a brandtelling strategy – the 14-page PDF booklet has been updated consistently since it first hit virtual shelves.
The third edition makes fresh use of “new insights, including feedback from clients,” according to Germain, making it “more timely” – a critical brush-up in the fast-changing world of digital communications.
Germain created the written content himself, and the CSG team constructed “Brandtelling for Business” using basic desktop tools – Microsoft Word and the free graphic-design platform Canva chief among them.
The cartoons come from artist Mark Anderson, creator of Andertoons.com, who “really has a great point of view and an ability to fit things into cartoons,” according to Germain.
“I had seen a cartoon by him, and I reached out and asked if he built custom cartoons,” the entrepreneur recalled. “I commissioned him to build a custom cartoon about brandtelling, and it’s still the cartoon on the last page of the [e-book].”
The simplicity of “Brandtelling for Business” adds value to the added value, Germain noted – common tools and a free download may seem small-time, but filling that download with useful information showcases just how forward-thinking CSG really is.
His company isn’t giving away the store for nothing, according to its founder.
“You create something of value, and you ask for a small bit of information in return,” Germain said. “In this case, we ask for an email address to download a copy of the book.”
Communication Strategy Group will of course use those e-mail addresses. “We reach out to see if someone is interested in a conversation,” Germain noted, but whether or not a potential client is interested – or even responds – the mission is accomplished: a relationship is established, with CSG positioned as a knowledgeable and generous source.
It’s not the first time Germain has innovated his 2005 startup to meet audiences on their turf: In 2018, he oversaw the launch of BrandStoryCasting, a high-tech spinoff focused on the pulsating podcast market.
Now, with the third edition going live, Germain is hoping for another “Brandtelling for Business” bump: Previous incarnations of the downloadable e-book “have sparked conversations with businesses looking to rebuild their brands,” he noted.
Whether or not the revamped version directly generates new business, its purpose is constant – and consistently valuable, according to Germain.
“We are doing what we always recommend to clients,” he said. “We’re telling a story and creating value.
“We’re providing guidance and perspective,” Germain added. “If that should result in new work from a client, or maybe a new referral, then that’s an added value.”