Yes, Air-conditioning

Speak of the comforts of industrial air-conditioning, it’s likely that you would have heard of the brand – Carrier. But, the story of Carrier did not begin with comfort. It began with a problem in the unlikeliest of places.

In 1902, Willis Carrier was trying to solve an issue in a printing plant where humidity kept affecting paper and ink alignment. What he built was not meant to cool people. It was meant to stabilise a process (U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.; Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). But that moment became the foundation of modern air conditioning, quietly shaping how we live and work today.

Think about that for a moment. There will never be another story exactly like Carrier’s. Even if hundreds of air conditioning brands followed, none of them began in a printing factory trying to fix humidity. And that is precisely why your founding story matters. It is the one thing no one else can replicate.

Most founders spend too much time trying to sound different. But uniqueness is not something you manufacture. It is something you uncover. Your founding story is already your strongest differentiator. You just have to know how to tell it.

Why your founding story is your strongest edge

Your product can evolve. Your messaging can change. Your competitors can copy what you build. But your founding story stays yours. It holds the earliest version of your thinking, before strategy refined it and before the market shaped it. It captures the instinct, the curiosity, and the tension that set everything in motion.

Why founding stories are not just nice to have

A study published in the Journal of Brand Management found that consumers who were exposed to a brand’s origin story described the brand more positively and were even willing to pay more for it (Lundqvist et al., 2013).

At the same time, studies indicate that up to 75 percent of consumers are more likely to remember a brand when it is presented through a story, and 55 percent are more likely to buy from it (Brandkit, n.d.).

How do you find your founding?

1.Start with the first spark

When did something first catch your attention in a way you could not ignore.

2. Look for the trigger

Founding stories are rarely loud in the beginning. They often start subtly.

3. Connect the dots honestly

There are detours. There are wrong turns. Do not remove that from your story. So be honest, try!

4. Show the problem before the solution

A strong founding story does not begin with what you built. It begins with what was not working.

5. Let the meaning reveal itself

You do not need to tell people why your story matters. If you tell it well, from your heart, they will understand.

6. Stop trying to sound unique

You are not trying to become unique. You already are.

Here’s Your Question Checklist

• Have I identified the first moment that sparked my thinking?
• Am I starting with a real experience instead of a polished idea?
• Have I included the small trigger that stayed with me?
• Did I show how the journey evolved?
• Have I clearly described the problem before the solution?
• Am I allowing the meaning to emerge naturally?
• Does the story sound like me?
  

Complete your founding story in a day?

Likely “No”. A founding story is fluid – it evolves every time you discover something new – not about your product, or your business – but something about YOU. And that is why people invest in founding stories, because it is a sign that problems will evolve, but the way you think makes you the person who society can bank on to come up with a solution.

You’re all set to write your founding story. There is no better time than today! You might be surprise the nuggets of wisdom others can gain from your journey.

References

U.S. Department of Energy (n.d.) History of Air Conditioning.
Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.) Willis Carrier.

Lundqvist, A., Liljander, V., Gummerus, J. and van Riel, A. (2013) The impact of storytelling on the consumer brand experience. Journal of Brand Management.

Woodside, A.G., Sood, S. and Miller, K.E. (2008) When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing. Journal of Business Research.

Brandkit (n.d.) The Power of Storytelling: How Brand Narratives Influence Consumer Behavior.

Wibowo, S.E. et al. (n.d.) The Strategic Role of Brand Storytelling in Enhancing Marketing and Brand Awareness.

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What we’ve shared is based on what has worked in our experience. Your business may differ, so make the tweaks you need with confidence. If you’d like support along the way, we’re here to help.

For more help on Media Matters:

Media Matters: Why isn’t the media picking up my story https://wrcomms.org/media-matters-why-isnt-the-media-picking-up-my-story/

Media Matters: Guide on the use of media statements vs media release (https://wrcomms.org/media-matters-guide-on-the-use-of-media-statements-vs-media-releases-and-the-interchangeability-of-press-and-media-terminology/)

Media Matters:  The question is not how media has changed — but how we choose to leverage its power – responsibly. (https://wrcomms.org/media-matters-the-question-is-not-how-media-has-changed-but-how-we-choose-to-leverage-its-power-responsibly/)