Attention has become the currency of modern business. It fuels engagement, drives growth and determines whether a brand commands influence or fades into irrelevance. In today’s attention economy, where human focus is scarce, and every message vies for limited audience time, brands continue to face a relentless battle for visibility. This is not just against competitors, but against the constant stream of content, notifications, and algorithms that dictate what audiences encounter first.
Globally, the average person now spends around six hours and 40 minutes on screens per day. Despite this staggering level of exposure, most brands still struggle to break through and make an impression. This is because too many are fighting for visibility in the wrong way; by adding noise instead of value.
At Content Creatures, we believe modern marketing isn’t about being louder; it’s about being more meaningful. The brands that connect with audiences are the ones that tell a story worth listening to. We call that a BetterStory.
For us, storytelling isn’t just a creative expression; it’s a strategic advantage. That’s why we help brands craft narratives that cut through the noise, connect and drive lasting impact.
In this blog we’ll explore what a BetterStory is, the core principles that underpin it, and the steps that make up our BetterStory Framework, our process for shaping purposeful, engaging brand narratives.
What is a BetterStory?
A BetterStory is more than messaging; it’s a strategic framework that combines strategy, creativity, and emotion to help brands connect with clarity and purpose. At Content Creatures, we use it to guide every project, shaping how we form and share ideas.
Unlike traditional messaging models, such as the features, advantages, benefits model or unique selling proposition, which focus narrowly on what a brand does, the BetterStory Framework shifts attention to what a brand means. It moves communication beyond functional claims and uses strategic storytelling to reflect brand purpose, audience expectations and long-term value. The framework is underpinned by four core principles: authenticity, relevance, simplicity, and consistency. Each plays a distinct role in shaping a stronger, more resonant brand narrative.
What are the core principles of a BetterStory?
At the heart of every BetterStory lies a set of guiding principles: authenticity, relevance, simplicity and consistency, that help transform ideas into meaningful narratives. These help brands communicate who they are and why they matter.
Why does authenticity matter in brand communications?
Brand authenticity has never been more critical. It reflects how trustworthy, transparent and consistent a brand appears in its messaging and branding initiatives. A Social Media Today study found that 90% of consumers consider authenticity an important factor when choosing which brands to like and support, highlighting its central role in how audiences perceive and connect with brands.
In an era defined by scepticism and information overload, building trust should be the most important focus for brands that want to succeed. However, trust can only be built on the foundation of authenticity.
This is why authenticity underpins the way we approach our BetterStory Method. At Content Creatures, we place it at the heart of every brand narrative we create, ensuring the stories we tell help brands build genuine trust with their audiences. By uncovering what drives your brand and expressing it consistently and authentically through design, motion and messaging, we create work that strengthens connection and long-term audience loyalty.
Why is relevance important in brand messaging?
In a world where attention spans are shrinking and audiences are constantly bombarded with content, relevance has become essential to communication. Today, 8 in 10 shoppers ignore messages that aren’t relevant to them and 71% of consumers are frustrated by irrelevant messages. It’s clear that consumers instinctively ignore what doesn’t speak to them. With so much competing for their attention, only messages that feel personally meaningful stand out.
Research by McKinsey found that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalised interactions, while 76% feel frustrated when this doesn’t happen. The takeaway is a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. Brands must create tailored content that reflects the specific needs, motivations and experiences of their audiences.
At Content Creatures relevance is the second pillar that underpins our BetterStory Method. It’s built on the understanding that meaningful communication begins with knowing your audience. During the first stage of our process, we carry out an in-depth audience analysis to uncover key needs, motivations and expectations. These insights form the foundation of our creative strategy, guiding us to develop narratives that feel personally resonant and meaningful to the people they’re designed to reach.
What does simplicity mean in brand communications?
Simplicity means achieving more with less, employing fewer brand elements to deliver greater clarity and impact. It has become one of the most influential design trends to appear in recent years, reflecting a wider cultural shift towards minimalism. The powerful aphorism ‘less is more’, therefore, has never been more relevant; today, brand messaging shouldn’t be complex, it should be simple and focused.
As highlighted by Small Business Trends, the most effective marketing messages simplifies complex concepts, helping consumers grasp a brand’s value proposition quicker. At Content Creatures, simplicity is the third pillar that underpins of our BetterStory Method. By using the most essential elements, we create work that conveys meaning clearly and powerfully, ensuring messages are absorbed quickly and remembered long after.
Why is consistency key in brand messaging?
With the rise of digitalisation, businesses are now developing a multi-channel presence. However, to be effective, a brand must communicate a unified identity across every touchpoint. A unified brand means presenting a consistent image, voice and experience, wherever an audience encounters it. This consistency is what makes a company easily recognisable and memorable. By maintaining a cohesive brand presence, businesses not only strengthen their image but also build trust, laying the foundation for lasting relationships with their audience.
A consistent brand presentation across platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. As a result, consistency is the fourth pillar which underpins our BetterStory Method. At Content Creatures, we believe consistency is key to building recognition and trust. We develop content that aligns every element of your brand, from messaging and visual style to motion and narrative tone. By creating work that is unified across all touchpoints we help brands strengthen their identity.
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What is The BetterStory Framework at Content Creatures?
At Content Creatures, we believe powerful brand stories are the result of strategy and purposeful storytelling. Our BetterStory Method guides your brand from the initial stage of discovery through to the final stage of delivery, ensuring your story is meaningful, well-structured and effective across all touchpoints. Below are the six stages that shape our method.
Unearthing the truth
We begin by deep diving into your brand’s core purpose and culture. Through strategic workshops and research, we identify the tensions, truths and opportunities surrounding your brand. We uncover the internal language and legacy that influence how it’s perceived and articulate the emotional value it offers and why it matters.
Read our case study on PDA society to see how we unearthed their brand truth.
Imagining better
Here, we explore how your brand can create real value in people’s lives. We believe the strongest brand stories are built on the belief that things can be better and that your brand has a meaningful way in making that happen. This stage, therefore, establishes the strategic direction your story will follow.
Story mapping
Once the narrative is defined, we shape how it will unfold. We outline key themes, content pillars, story arcs and sequencing across all relevant touchpoints. This stage ensures your narrative is carefully structured and delivered consistently throughout every brand interaction.
Read our case study on Brooks Macdonald to see how we structured and mapped their brand narrative.
Design-led storytelling
At this stage, we shift from defining the narrative to expressing it. Through visual systems, motion and sensory language, we translate strategy into a distinct creative language, ensuring your story isn’t just understood, but genuinely felt.
Ideas in motion
This penultimate stage is where every element of strategy comes to life. Whether it’s a brand film, product explainer, internal comms video, event video or social campaign, we transform strategic insights into compelling motion content. Every frame is crafted to maximise narrative impact, strengthen brand meaning and create deeper emotional connections with your audience.
Read our Tate & Lyle case study to see how we brought the project to life through motion.
The Living Story
This final stage focuses on keeping your brand story alive, relevant and credible over time. Through ongoing performance reviews and considered iterative updates, we ensure your content continues to resonate, adapt to changing audience needs and stays top-of mind.
Why brands need a BetterStory (now more than ever)?
With consumer attention spans shrinking, scepticism rising and audiences overwhelmed by constant content, brands can no longer rely on surface-level messaging. To cut through they need to communicate in a way that is authentic, relevant, consistent and simplistic across every touchpoint.
This is where our BetterStory method makes a difference. It gives brands a disciplined framework to clarify their purpose, identify what genuinely matters to their audience and articulate it clearly through design and motion.
A BetterStory is not a slogan, it’s a way of building a brand narrative that can adapt, scale and strengthen over time. It ensures your narrative remains relevant as markets shift, providing a reliable framework that guides future creative and communication decisions.
Our BetterStory Method, therefore, exists to shape better stories that create deeper and more memorable connections with audiences over time.
Ready to explore your BetterStory? Book a meeting.
Why Work with Content Creatures?
Crafting a compelling brand story is challenging. But, at Content Creatures we combine strategy and storytelling, and follow our BetterStory Framework, to help brands shape narratives that are authentic, relevant and consistent across all digital environments. By distilling ideas into simple, but engaging expressions, we ensure your story connects clearly and meaningfully with your audience.
Our BetterStory Method underpins every project we work on, providing a clear framework that guides our thinking from the first insight to the final execution.
If you’re interested in exploring how the BetterStory Method could support your brand:
- Learn more about our approach here.
