You've read the book StoryBrand or attended a webinar, are excited about the method and are considering implementing it in your business. With this new approach, you hope to boost your marketing and sales.

Still, there are doubts. Does StoryBrand always work, in every situation? What are reasons why a StoryBrand implementation could possibly fail?

As a certified StoryBrand facilitator, I have taught many private workshops at our sister company StoryBrand Netherlands and guided several companies through their implementation. But what gives me a unique perspective is that I experienced a failed StoryBrand implementation myself when I was CMO at a SaaS company. You can read more about that below. So I've been on both sides of the process and know exactly where things can go wrong.

In this article, I share the seven key reasons why StoryBrand implementations fail. You'll learn what pitfalls other companies have encountered, how to assess whether your organization is ready for StoryBrand, and what the crucial conditions are for a successful implementation. After reading this article, you will be much better able to assess whether StoryBrand will work for you, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

The first and perhaps most fundamental problem with failed StoryBrand implementations is a lack of true belief in the method. In companies where implementations fail, we often see that there is doubt from the beginning among key people within the team.

This doubt manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes it's the executive who wants to "give StoryBrand a chance" but isn't actually convinced. In other cases, it's the marketing team that goes along with the decision, but meanwhile thinks, "This is just another hype that will blow over."

What we keep seeing is that teams that half-heartedly embrace StoryBrand drop out at the first setback. Instead of looking at their own implementation, they point to the method: "See, it doesn't work for us." They lack the belief that if it works for others, it will work for them if they find the right approach.

This skeptical attitude is reinforced when initial results are lacking. Instead of accepting that implementation takes time and results are not always immediately visible, the method itself is questioned. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: because they don't believe it works, they don't fully commit, so it indeed doesn't work.

A second fatal flaw in StoryBrand implementations is the lack of urgency and focus. Many organizations start enthusiastically, but then dilute the implementation by spreading it out over months or even years.

This approach causes momentum to completely dissipate. Team members lose the thread, have to be reintegrated over and over again, and forget what was discussed in the previous sessions. The result? A fragmented implementation without cohesion.

Moreover, this slow approach leads to loss of motivation. If a project takes too long without visible results, the team begins to doubt and enthusiasm wanes. New priorities present themselves, and before you know it, StoryBrand is relegated to "that marketing thing we once did."

My advice for this pitfall is simple: make sure you keep working on it at least one hour a week. Anyone can free up an hour a week from their schedule, even the busiest entrepreneur. For example, grab Monday mornings from 8 to 9, or just in the evening if that works better. Most importantly, keep moving forward.

Companies that "just do StoryBrand on the side" lose momentum and never see results.

A third reason StoryBrand implementations fail is that companies store selectively for the advice they get from StoryBrand experts. They pick out the parts they like or that are easy to implement, and ignore the advice they find difficult or that goes against their existing beliefs.

For example, we see this with companies that do create a new wireframe for their website according to StoryBrand principles, but then stick to their old, complex message. Or with organizations that develop a one-liner, but then water it down with jargon because they are afraid of coming across as "too simple."

The result is a hybrid approach that combines the worst of both worlds. It lacks the power and clarity of StoryBrand, but also lacks the familiarity of the old way of communicating. Customers only get more confused as a result.

What these companies fail to understand is that StoryBrand is a holistic approach. If you decide to omit or modify elements, you undermine the whole system. It's like a recipe from which you randomly leave out ingredients - the end result will never be what it could have been.

I often use an analogy from the movie world here. In Hollywood, a lot of research goes into what makes a good movie, and what elements should be in it.

Can you sometimes take one element out of a storyline? Yes, but you need to know why it was in there in the first place and how you're going to balance that. Of course, for example, you don't build Schindler's List according to the standard Hollywood formula with lots of suspense, but that's a conscious decision made from knowledge of the film world.

There are hundreds or thousands of companies worldwide successfully implementing StoryBrand. If you want to deviate from that, you'll be doing something drastic. Therefore, my advice is: start with the basics and follow the method. Only then can you see if you want to deviate from it, and if you have good reasons in terms of content.

When StoryBrand implementations fail, we often see that companies want too much at once. They want to revamp their website, tackle their social media, create a lead generator, launch an email campaign and train their sales team - all at once.

This ambitious approach seems energetic at first, but almost always leads to fragmentation of attention and resources. In fact, nothing gets completed properly.

What these companies overlook is that a strong StoryBrand implementation starts with laying a solid foundation. Without a well-thought-out BrandScript and a clear one-liner, there's little point in setting up email campaigns or optimizing your social media. It's like building a house without first pouring the foundation.

What's more, this all-purpose approach often leads to team frustration. They can't see the forest for the trees and become overwhelmed by the amount of work. This results in a feeling of helplessness, which ultimately brings implementation to a complete halt.

Therefore, my advice in general is: start with your BrandScript and your homepage, and build out your marketing plan from there with lead generating PDFs, emails, and so on.

Companies that try to tackle everything at once become paralyzed by complexity and end up completing nothing.

A fifth crucial mistake is relying on motivation instead of discipline. After a workshop or reading the StoryBrand book, teams are often full of enthusiasm and energy. They are motivated to get started and already see the potential results before them.

But what happens when that initial enthusiasm wears off? What happens when setbacks occur, or when the results are not visible as quickly as hoped? Then it often turns out that there is no structural discipline built in to see the implementation through.

In companies where StoryBrand does not get off to a good start, implementation often depends too much on the enthusiasm of individuals, rather than being embedded in existing processes and responsibilities. These companies have no clear schedule, no concrete deadlines and no clear division of labor. The result is that StoryBrand fades into the background as soon as a new priority emerges or the workload increases.

This is in contrast to successful implementations, where StoryBrand is treated as a strategic priority with clear deadlines, responsibilities and consequences if it doesn't happen. These companies understand that consistent action is more important than short-term motivation.

This mistake is close to mistake 2: taking too long to implement. In both cases, it's about structurally setting aside time for your marketing efforts. That requires discipline - that one set time in the week when you work on your StoryBrand, no matter what else is going on in your business.

Compare it to working out: you can't do a quick six-pack six weeks before summer and expect to look great in swimwear by summer. The same goes for StoryBrand marketing: it only has real impact if you stick with it and keep doing it.

Teams that rely on motivation rather than discipline see their StoryBrand implementation bogged down as soon as the novelty wears off.

A sixth common cause of failed implementations is downtime due to distractions. StoryBrand gets pushed aside as soon as something "urgent" comes along. And let's face it: something urgent always comes along.

We see this pattern recurring all the time: a company starts enthusiastically, but then a big customer comes rushing in, or there's a problem in production, or a reorganization occurs. The StoryBrand implementation is put "on hold" for a while, with a promise to get back to it "soon."

But in practice, "a little while" often turns into weeks or months, and "soon" turns into "maybe someday." The momentum is completely gone, and the threshold to start again becomes higher and higher.

This ties in with what I mentioned earlier: above all, keep moving a bit and don't say "I'm not doing anything at all with it for a while, I'll pick it up again in a few months." Don't underestimate how difficult it is to get a stalled implementation going again. It's like your gym routine: the longer you don't go, the harder it becomes to start again.

Companies that put StoryBrand "on hold" for a while due to other priorities rarely restart implementation.

The final and perhaps most persistent reason why StoryBrand implementations fail is that companies cling to ego and old habits. StoryBrand requires a customer-centric approach, where your own story, preferences and achievements are secondary to what the customer needs.

For many companies, this proves incredibly difficult in practice. They have invested years in their brand identity, pride themselves on their jargon, and find it hard to accept that customers may not be as interested in their unique selling points as they think they are.

We see this in endless discussions about how to formulate something, when it can actually be very simple. Or when teams make wireframes unnecessarily complicated, for fear of underestimating the target audience. Or when companies keep using expensive brochures and presentations that mainly stroke the ego of management, but offer little value to the customer.

These companies forget that StoryBrand is about the customer, not them. They continue to communicate from their own perspective, instead of empathizing with the needs of their target audience. The result is a half-baked implementation that completely misses the essence of StoryBrand.

What I often see is that part of the team has attended the StoryBrand workshop, is convinced and understands it. But then new people get involved who start reacting from their ego. It is then important to bring them into the StoryBrand story as well.

I myself once made this mistake in a previous role as CMO at a SaaS company. I had worked with a StoryBrand consultant to create a BrandScript and thought: this is now the company's new messaging. But I hadn't brought the rest of the team into this, so the CEO and sales people didn't understand it. As a result, the implementation didn't catch on either.

Companies that prioritize their own story over the customer's will never be successful with StoryBrand.

Implementing StoryBrand successfully is not a matter of luck, but of making conscious choices and avoiding pitfalls. The seven reasons we discussed are all avoidable with the right approach.

Reflecting on my own experience at To-Increase, I see how important it is to get the whole team on board and not just launch an isolated marketing initiative. The method only works if there is broad support, from management level to the people who speak to customers on a daily basis.

StoryBrand requires a degree of humility and openness to change that not all organizations can muster. It requires letting go of old patterns and trusting a proven method, even when your own intuition may say otherwise. But companies that dare to take this step are rewarded with clear communication that actually resonates with their customers.

At Buzzlytics, we've seen time and time again that the most successful implementations occur at companies that show complete commitment, take a step-by-step approach, and consistently set aside time - even if it's just that one hour a week. That consistency, like exercise, ultimately makes the difference between a temporary boost and a lasting transformation.

Are you considering getting started with StoryBrand? Then ask yourself if your organization is ready to really invest in this approach, not only financially, but also in terms of time, attention and readiness for change. Want to know if your company is ready for a successful implementation? Then schedule a meeting with me or one of my colleagues. Together we'll map out what's needed to make your StoryBrand journey a success, so you don't fall into the same pitfalls so many other companies have experienced.