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What it argues
Building a StoryBrand is Donald Miller's argument that most companies fail at marketing because they communicate from the wrong perspective. They talk about themselves — their history, their values, their expertise — rather than positioning the customer as the hero of a story in which the company plays a supporting role. Miller's framework, called SB7, borrows from Joseph Campbell's hero's journey and applies it systematically to brand messaging.
The SB7 framework has seven elements: a Character (the customer, not the company), a Problem (what the customer is up against, broken into external, internal, and philosophical dimensions), a Guide (the company, positioned as a wise and empathetic advisor like Yoda, not the hero like Luke), a Plan (the steps the customer takes to solve the problem), a Call to Action (both a direct and transitional CTA), Avoiding Failure (what is at stake if the customer doesn't act), and Achieving Success (the transformation the customer experiences). The most important shift is from company-as-hero to company-as-guide, which Miller argues most brands resist because it requires humility.
What it gets right
- 1.
Most companies position themselves as the hero of their marketing. The most effective brand messaging positions the customer as the hero and the company as the guide.
- 2.
The SB7 framework: Character, Problem, Guide, Plan, Call to Action, Failure, and Success. The seven elements structure a brand narrative that customers can immediately understand and engage with.
- 3.
Customer problems have three levels: external (the surface problem), internal (the feeling it creates), and philosophical (the injustice of the situation). Addressing all three resonates more deeply than addressing only the external.
What it covers
Who wrote it
Donald Miller is the CEO of Business Made Simple and the founder of StoryBrand, a marketing framework and consulting firm used by companies including Pantene, Tempur-Sealy, and Nashville International Airport. Before Building a StoryBrand, he was best known as the author of Blue Like Jazz, a memoir about spirituality. He now focuses entirely on business communication. Building a StoryBrand became a Wall Street Journal bestseller and spawned a companion workbook, an online course, and a certified consultants program.
