Contently Comic: Tell Us Your Brand Story

Due to my responsibilities as Contently’s Editor-in-Chief, I do something totally sadistic: I follow a lot of brands on social media. Sometimes I even favorite a brand tweet so I can come back to it as a reference point or just share the awful copy in our content team Hipchat. I also figure I’m doing my small part to help out out some stressed and confused 22-year-old social media manager who needs to point to as many vanity engagements as possible to keep his job.

It’s a strange life I live, and sometimes when I’m reading these brand tweets, I feel like I’m at a giant family reunion, with every uncle and aunt demanding that I tell a story to the rest of the family that illustrates the strength of our particular relationship. (Remember when you were three and we took you to Six Flags and you danced with a sad man sweating profusely inside a Bugs Bunny costume? Tell everyone how much fun that was!) Except it isn’t my Uncle Ronnie demanding these things on Twitter. It’s IHOP.

The absurdity of brands demanding that consumers share their brand-related stories is something captured brilliantly on the TellUsYourStory Tumblr, which we covered last month. You think such a semi-viral Tumblr would derail the trend, but in my experience, it’s only intensified, with brands launching a barrage of questions hoping you’ll break.

And lately, following brands on Twitter feels less like a family reunion and more like an interrogation—which is the inspiration for our latest comic by the brilliant Martin Kozlowski:

Previously in Contently Comics

Brands Saying Bae

Size Matters

The Industrial Content Complex

Are You Ready for Some X-Treme Content Marketing?!

Is This What Your Content Marketing Brainstorm Looks Like?

The Super Bowl Commercial Store