The Sézane masterclass in worldbuilding and story-driven marketing
One thing that’s going on ‘round the here lately is Ruby is learning French
She’s using the app. She also follows this lady on instagram, who, each day, goes through a French word. She might explain how to pronounce a syllable or something. Plus, she also follows a bunch of French fashion brands, and artists.
Well Ruby was watching this video about how to say a word, and at the end of the lady pointed to her t-shirt. Talking about how she’s done a collaboration with another brand, Sézane…
Now, I normally wouldn’t be so interested in all of this.
But I knew that Ruby had bought a bunch of Sézane clothes over the years. And that this French fashion brand has blown up. In particular, a few months back she came into the office after they had a sell-out clothing drop, and it all went in thirty minutes.
Before she could get any…
Anyway, so my ears pricked up at this video.
I pointed to the phone.
“They’re in the French culture ‘world’, not the Fashion world” I blurted out.”
“Who?” She asked.
“Sézane”
“But this lady is teaching French, not selling clothes”
“‘Zactly!”
And this is a really key thing for service businesses to think about.
“Market the world, before the offer. Sell the world, before the offer.”
Most service businesses position ‘relatively’ through claims.
For example, a gym might say ‘we’re not CrossFit’... or “we can help you lose weight faster, here’s our proof.” Or a nutritionist might say “You need to fix your mindset around eating. Here’s how…” Coaches: “It's time to change, I’ll help you.”
This puts you smack in the middle of the ‘claims based’ marketing noise (‘claim’ to solve a problem the business describes), that is so filled with hot air, promises, and general chatter, that it’s almost impossible to stand out.
Especially now, where consumers need to trust a brand much more before purchase.
So a lot of times, this leads to discounting, or being ignored, or, both…
But when you sell the world, before the offer, you’re a story-driven business. You’re taking the position of a ‘movement champion’ rather than a claims based marketer in the middle of a sea of red noise.
And by championing a new movement that the client wants to be a part of, your offer (or Sézane’s offer in this case) becomes the default choice for anyone wanting to ‘wear’ the French culture.
Let’s break down how Sezanne does this, so you can apply the thinking to your own biz-ness as you see fit…
Note: Should we pay attention to product businesses if we run a service? Absolutely. Hospitality businesses are great as well.
Step One: Sézane clearly defines their ‘world’
You can think of your ‘world’ as your meta. The genre, or setting of your business. Where you’re located, the characters, the colours et cetera.
Your ‘world’ infuses everything you do. Because it’s where the story takes place.
(Go back through the articles or podcasts for more on this)
This is part of the ‘story’ as explained on Sézane’s ‘About Page’:
So, what do we know now…?
First, from the name, the site title, we know that the brand is French. With a coastal vibe.
We know that they are about a ‘new story’, because they told us.
More:
Further down on the ‘About’ page, in the film “10 Years of Creation as Told by Victor” where he talks about Sézane, he states:
‘The Parisian life, symbol of their Renaissance, and their Revolution’.
‘Renaissance’ is French for ‘re-birth’. Or creating a new version, or a new story.
More:
On the about page, they have something called Sézane en Rose. ‘On the first Wednesday of every month, we wear pink to raise awareness and support breast cancer organisations across the world.’
OK, so here’s what we have:
** The ‘world’ is mostly for women.
** The ‘world’ is about French culture.
** The ‘world’ is colourful, musical, and has dancing
** The ‘world’ is about Renaissance and Revolution.
** The ‘world’ is about fashion.
While we know they sell something to do with fashion, nothing has been said about the product yet.
As we take in this ‘world’, we start to look deeper at the story as it could apply to us as the consumer. Which is always the main reason the business exists. I.e. to make a change for a particular group of people.
Why look at the ‘world’ first with marketing?
You don’t have to. But it’s typically fixed from the backstory of the business owner a little bit.
Plus, it creates an ‘immersive’ way of thinking, that allows the customer to go on a lot of deeper journeys:
“I eventually came to believe that instead of conceiving of a story and then creating a world in which it could be told and make sense, I should create the world first - then let the player have access to all of its capabilities as they negotiate their own story.”
- Richard Garriott
Note: Some people like to create the story first. And that’s OK.
Others, will try to just create the offer. A solution for a particular problem.
And there’s nothing wrong with that either. But in a crowded market, if you create the world first, or at least in line with your core narrative, you shift to becoming a ‘story-driven’ business, that stands alone.
Step Two: Define the Story, or Narrative
OK, so the ‘world’ is defined.
Remember, this is just the setting, or theme for your business story.
Let’s look at that main business story. This is the ‘game’ the business is helping their customers play.
This is why your business exists. It must make some kind of consistent change.
For example.
In Creator Club, the overarching ‘story’ is you learn the skills to build a unique, well-known and profitable business.
Let’s look at a gym:
Inside the world of a gym, there must be one overarching narrative.
You get stronger. Or you get more flexible. Team training. Or you get more fitness so you can show up at your job better.
(Gyms that lack a core narrative can struggle over time)
OK, back to our example, Sézane.
In the Sézane world, there is one core narrative:
To embrace your version of your own renaissance. To have your own ‘French Revolution’.
Now this started in France, where they began. But soon, it spread.
And, once Sézane spread to other countries, it was about a ‘new’ sense of culture, life and energy.
For Ruby, for example, she has European heritage, she went to France when she was young.
And now living in Australia, she has a craving for that culture. So, she started to learn French, et cetera.
[Note: Often, your core narrative is more powerful when it coincides with a cultural shift, or ‘change’ that makes it more urgent. For example, although not stated on the site. Sézane’s ‘renaissance’ narrative, of a new, more energised future, is in contrast to a lot of the technocratic, or more ‘muted’ lifestyle that is more common now. In this sense, they are rising up in the face of a change, presenting a new opportunity to buyers.]
Variations to the narrative
Note: For most businesses, there are a lot of variations to how that major narrative will play out for each person.
I.e. People may go to your gym for slightly different reasons. Or some people do certain classes, and not others at a yoga studio. Because they don’t follow exactly the same path.
Here’s a specific example:
In Creator Club, there are full time employees building side businesses.
There are architects. Trainers. Coaches. Consultants.
All building story-driven businesses.
And while that is the main narrative, some people are using it to become more confident in all parts of their lives. Others are using it to meet people, and take advantage of the social aspect of the live events. Others, are purely focused on revenue.
And you’ll find in your business, that people have all kinds of directions they can go.
And you can either try to control that. Or, you can build your world in more ways so that they can develop their own stories in their own ways.
(And stay within your business world.)
Anyway, let’s go back to Sézane, if you think about the French Revolution or Renaissance ‘story’, well there are different facets to that narrative.
The clothing
The food or the art
The people, and community
The music, and dancing (that period was known for a lot of music)
The language
You can probably see where this is going in terms of offers and content…
But once you define the over-arching narrative of your business, things get a lot easier.
Let’s look at two more examples.
Let’s say you’re a Yoga Studio.
Well, if you are clear on the overarching narrative - let’s say it’s preparing the mind and body for the modern world (similar to RA MA institute).
Well, what are some of the ways that could play out…
The client gets better at ‘skills’
The people come together to meet each other at ‘community events’
The client learns ways to build physical strength
The client learns ways to improve their relationships
The client goes to classes specifically to clear the mind
All of these help the customer progress further on the overarching narrative.
OK, last one.
Let’s say you’re a Real Estate agent.
Well, the over-arching story might be for the customer to become a proud home-owner and welcome and respected member of the community. OK, some of the quests, or ways that could play out:
Finding a home
Financing a home
Setting up your home
Meeting your community
Maximising your home for re-sale
Your ‘world’ will have tools, and assets that help people to go down one, or any of these paths.
This gets clearer as you learn more from customers, and look for more ways to help them.
For more on narrative, check out the RA MA article here.
Step Three: Create offers to help clients move forward in their story
There are two kinds of offers. Paid. And Free.
A lot of free offers might fall under the ‘content’ banner for service businesses.
But they are still offers!
When I saw Ruby watching the video, she was learning how to say certain words in French.
It’s both entertaining, and, is helping her to feel like she’s moving closer to the goal. That was the ‘value’.
She’s paying for the ‘free’ content with time and attention… That’s the trade. And, this is helpful when you think about your content, because you can learn to see it like a paid offer. It has to provide a benefit for the reader.
If the content is obviously moving the reader closer to the sale, it’s usually a benefit for you.
If the content is obviously moving the reader forward in their story, then it’s a benefit to them.
OK, let’s look at the Sezane offers.
We’ll break them down to both ‘paid’ and ‘free’.
‘Free’ Offers:
App that you can get to check out latest styles. This seems self serving, but remember in fashion, it’s also helping the audience create vision
Educational and inspirational content on social media
French lessons
Clothing / outfit ideas
Inspiration through showing customers dressed in Sezane.
One of my favourites - a Sezane playlist, which is used at the official Sezane l’appartement store in Paris
Other notable content:
Multiple dance collaborations: Sezane x LA Dance Project
Dance videos on the website
About the staff videos that are interesting
General content (social media) is largely grouped into three categories:
Examples of customers who are moving forward in their own story of ‘renaissance’
Education, ideas or tips to move forward in the story yourself
Product offers (how to actually buy the clothes to move forward in the story)...
This takes us to the paid offers…
‘Paid’ Offers:
Clothing
Cookware from collaboration with chef
Men’s clothing
Bags
Shoes
Jewelry
Swimwear
Maternity
Glasses
The clothing we expect from a clothing brand. But all the offshoot offers? Simply other ways to ‘surround’ yourself with your own French Renaissance.
Finally let’s look at the influencer collaborations:
Collaboration with Jamie Beck, author, photographer
Collaboration with Elénore Toulin, who does cooking content (French Chef)
Collaboration with Suzanne Meyer dancer.
Collaboration with G. Kero, a particularly colourful artist.
In each case, influencer collaborations are not set up just use other people’s audience to make more sales or awareness (usually the influencer is much smaller in audience size)
They are set up because they benefit the customer first and foremost, by uncovering more of the main narrative (renaissance), in a different way - i.e. through music, or art.
Conclusion
Alright, so the offers in a business should not be ‘presented’ with their features, or as stand-alone offers to make money for the business.
This includes ‘free’ offers, like content.
But rather, as stepping stones for those who want to go deeper in the world, and progress further on the main narrative, or story.
A story-driven business supports this even for non-paying customers. Because they are driven by the story. Customers pay for the deeper level of guidance, support, or in this case, immersion with the clothing.
Sézane ain’t wildly popular not because their clothing is well designed (it is).
It’s not wildly popular because it’s driven by influencers.
They are wildly popular because they have created a story that resonates, with an immersive world.
Rather than trying to ‘sell’ the offers all the time, they have a limited amount of stock of the clothing, and a much bigger amount of content, world-building, and tools to help inspire customers to move forward in their own narrative, or story of ‘renaissance.’
They are not just a clothing company.
They are champions of a movement: create your own ‘renaissance’.
All that is to say, if you want to build a story-driven business, your three areas of focus are:
What is the world (setting, and overall theme).
What is the over-arching ‘narrative’ taking place in that world?
What are your offers. These are stepping stones to move forward in the main narrative of your business.
Want to add more offers? Run a live event?
Great, what do your clients need to move forward in their journey, or story?
Want to inspire your clients to go down more quests, spend more time in your business?
Great, add more depth and detail to your world so they can explore.