Most of us, I think, are familiar with the tagline we were lectured with in grade school: learn the three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Except, they really aren’t three Rs, are they. It is RWA. I mean, if grammar is important, which, in school, it should have been, let’s be accurate. Likely I raised this issue with my teachers and I doubt it went well.
When I heard this again recently, I did my research. I was curious about the origin of this phrase and why three Rs was accepted when clearly the phrase uses more of the alphabet. As many of you know, I am a stickler for accuracy.
In brief, a few sources cited George William Curtis, an educator and writer in the 1800s, as the one who coined the phrase as a basis for education. It’s possible that the spelling of these words was different than they are now, and “writing” and “arithmetic” were written as “riting” and “rithmetic.”
Since then, a lot has changed in education, and spelling.
But the research revealed two things: (1) Check the origins before making assumptions and (2) the importance of your origin to shape your brand story. This second point has everything to do with your audience’s emotions because it is based on perception. And this affects their trust and loyalty to you and your products.
Research origins to avoid assumptions
The illustration about the three Rs is meant to spark curiosity. I was curious about the meaning of this phrase and idea, so I researched it to learn the origins of what today would be considered inaccurate. Curtis made a decent point with what fit for the time. But education since the 1800s — the teaching methods, the foundation, and our views — has changed.
Instead of accepting what we see, read, and hear as fact, we should do our due diligence and dig deeper into the meaning, the origin, and the source.
Which also means if you base your business vision and marketing on something that is accepted as fact yet is not, you quickly lose trust and interest from your audience.
Your origin is your brand story
When we shape our brand story, the root of it starts with our why. Why we started our business or created our product or service in the first place. Our values also shape our why. And our values have everything to do with who we are, and therefore, what our business represents.
Origin is about your beginning. How did your organization begin? What was the motive(s) behind it?
Your genuine reason for your beginning is how you frame your brand story and how you build trust. Your audience relates to you, they see themselves in your story, and therefore, have a connection to you.
The perception your audience has of you has everything to do with how you tell your story. So if you want their understanding to fit your brand story, make sure it is genuine and real.
Your brand story is created in four pieces: (1) the purpose of your story and the reason for your organization’s existence, (2) your audience’s trend connection, (3) the emotional connection to your audience, and (4) your meaningful value proposition.
There’s no reason to complicate it. Keep it simple and honest. Focus on telling us why you started. Be human. Because in the end, that is who you are trying to reach.
When it comes to business or even our author brand, we like genuine honesty to understand the person or people behind the enterprise. We look for connections to build trust. Your aim is to make sure your audience’s perception of your organization is accurate. You do this by shaping your origin into a relatable and honest brand story.
(Photo by Max Fischer from Pexels)
Need help telling your business or author story? My brand training helps you live your brand by recognizing your story and learning how to use it effectively to enhance engagement and increase sales. Find out more here and book a call with me!
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