What makes our brand stories feel authentic?

Ground brand stories in what employees and customers have actually experienced, and involve employees from the start. The Frameworks argues that an identity rooted in genuine workforce experience is more likely to connect with audiences than empty claims of authenticity.

For UST, The Frameworks created a film about its work with Nourish + Bloom Market, an autonomous grocery store with robotic delivery. UST's technology powered the store, but the narrative centred on founders Jilea and Jamie Hemmings and their ambition to bring good food to their community's food desert, inspired by their autistic son, Jabari.

The film included local suppliers, employees, UST experts, shoppers and the founders' family. The Frameworks established the narrative, then let participants tell their stories in their own words. The practical lesson is to find the people whose experiences explain why the work matters, rather than manufacture a narrative around the organisation's preferred claims.

Creative storytelling can be bold without losing its connection to the organisation's character. The Frameworks argues that brands can experiment while staying true to who they are, rather than copying the latest marketing trend. Its discussion of Volkswagen's "Lemon" advertisement highlights how unexpected messaging can express a recognisable brand quality: irreverence.

For a brand team, the useful test is whether a creative idea expresses something particular about the organisation or could belong to any competitor. A 2025 survey by Wynter found that 94% of surveyed B2B SaaS marketing leaders at companies with revenue above $50 million said their brand messaging barely stands out, while 6% described it as truly distinctive.

The Frameworks also warns that using the same AI tools as competitors can produce interchangeable communication. Its proposed role for generative AI is to support creativity by handling repetitive tasks, while people bring empathy, curiosity and imagination to the story. Originality should come from interpreting a genuine characteristic, not inventing a personality disconnected from the business.