Origin & Source
This technique was first described in a seminal work on storytelling and narrative structure. It draws from decades of research into how audiences process and remember stories.
The underlying principle has been validated across multiple disciplines, from screenwriting to brand strategy and content marketing.
Source: Original research and academic publications
The Framework
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A Character
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Has a Problem
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Meets a Guide
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Who Gives Them a Plan
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And Calls Them to Action
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That Helps Them Avoid Failure
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And Ends in Success
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B2B SaaS - Scheduling tool for clinics buried in feature-talk
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
DTC - Electrolyte brand drowning in a sea of hydration claims
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
Agency / personal brand - Consultant whose About page is all about her
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
A ready-to-use example that you can adapt for your brand...
Brand Strategy Usage
Homepage Wireframe
The 3-second clarity test
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
The One-Liner
Your story in a single sentence
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
Nurture Email Sequence
Moving the hero one step at a time
Detailed strategy breakdown with step-by-step implementation guide...
When to use
Homepages and landing pages where a stranger has to 'get it' in three seconds
Brand messaging that has drifted into talking about the company instead of the customer
Sales decks, one-liners, and elevator pitches that need a single clear through-line
Email sequences and nurture flows where each message should move the hero one step
When NOT to use
Ultra-short hook-first social where you stop the scroll before any structure (use In Medias Res or a Pattern Interrupt first)
Highly differentiated or category-defining brands at risk of sounding like every other SB7 site if it is applied by rote
Internal or technical documentation where step-by-step clarity beats narrative
Deciding strategy or what to actually offer - SB7 clarifies the message, it does not invent the substance
Related storytelling techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the StoryBrand (SB7) framework?
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Why should the customer be the hero, not the brand?
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How do you write a StoryBrand BrandScript?
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What's the difference between StoryBrand and the Hero's Journey?
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Does StoryBrand work for B2B?
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