Writing a Brand Story With Your Agency: The Questions They Will Ask

Many small business owners ask an agency for a "brand story" and expect a polished paragraph to appear a week later. Good agencies do not work that way. A brand story that feels true has to come from the business itself, so the agency's first job is to ask questions, lots of them. The quality of your answers decides the quality of the story.

Knowing the questions in advance helps you prepare. It also helps you notice whether an agency is digging deep enough or just filling a template with nice words.

Why the questions matter more than the writing

A brand story is not just an About page. It shapes how your website introduces you, how your social media sounds, how sales staff explain the business and how customers describe you to friends. If it is built on vague answers, it will sound like every other company: "passionate", "customer-focused", "quality-driven".

Specific answers produce specific stories. A bakery that started because the founder could not find kuih like her grandmother's in her new town has a story. A bakery that "loves baking" does not. Your agency's questions are designed to find those specific, true details.

Questions about where you started

Expect the agency to ask about the beginning. These questions often uncover the most memorable material:

• Why did you start this business, and what was happening in your life then?
• What problem did you notice that others were not solving well?
• What did the first version of the business look like?
• What nearly made you quit, and why did you continue?
• Who helped you in the early days?

Prepare real examples, not summaries. Old photos, first price lists, early customer messages and notes from the first year can all help the agency see what made the business different.

Questions about customers

A brand story is ultimately about the people you serve. The agency will want to understand them as well as you do:

1. Who are your best customers, and what do they have in common?
2. What do customers say when they recommend you?
3. What do they worry about before buying from you?
4. What changed for them after working with you?
5. Which customers are not a good fit, and why?

If you can, share real reviews, messages and survey answers. Our guide on customer interviews with your agency explains how to gather deeper insight if you have time.

Tip: bring your harshest honest review to the workshop. It often reveals what customers expect from you more clearly than your best reviews do.

Questions about beliefs and boundaries

Good agencies also ask what you stand for and what you refuse to do. These questions can feel uncomfortable, but they give a brand story its backbone. Expect questions such as: What will you never compromise on? What do you think your industry gets wrong? What would you be proud to be known for in ten years?

Answer honestly, even if your answers are simple. "We never hide fees" or "we always answer the phone ourselves" are strong beliefs if you truly live by them. Avoid claiming values you do not practise. Customers notice the gap quickly, and staff notice it even faster.

Questions about the future

The story should leave room for where you are going. Agencies will ask about plans for the next few years: new products, new markets, new locations, a change in who you serve. A story that only celebrates the past can feel stuck. One that connects the past to a clear direction feels alive.

Be open about uncertainty too. You might not know whether you will open a second outlet, but you can say what kind of growth you want and what kind you do not.

What the agency should give back

After the questions, a good agency should return more than one paragraph. Expect a short core story, a longer version for your website, a few key messages and examples of how the story sounds in different places, such as a social post, a sales pitch and a packaging line. You should recognise your business in every version. If you do not, say so clearly and explain what feels wrong. Our guide on writing a brand positioning statement shows how the story and positioning work together.

FAQ

How long does a brand story workshop take?

Many agencies run one or two sessions of a few hours, plus follow-up questions. Larger companies may need interviews with several team members.

Should staff join the workshop?

Long-serving staff often remember details founders forget, and they hear customer comments daily. Including one or two is usually helpful.

What if my business story is not dramatic?

It does not need to be. Honest, specific details about why you do things your way are more convincing than invented drama.

A strong brand story starts with honest answers. Prepare for questions about your beginnings, customers, beliefs and future, bring real examples and expect the agency to return a story you recognise as your own.