Brand Storytelling in the Era of New Power
Brand storytelling can help legacy institutions navigate an era where trust and relevance are no longer guaranteed.
In today’s world, how you are perceived has a direct impact on your ability to fulfill your mission. Institutions that remain silent or rely on outdated models of communication risk losing trust, influence, and relevance. To thrive, they must adapt to new rules of storytelling, where values, vision, and authenticity matter more than results and authority.
The growing struggle between old power and new power
This shift is part of a broader societal transformation, which Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms describe as the struggle between Old Power and New Power in their 2014 framework. Old Power was the domain of governments, traditional corporations, and legacy nonprofits, institutions that built authority through hierarchy and operated with limited input from arguably one of their most important stakeholders: the public.
In contrast, New Power thrives in the domain of the internet and mass mobilization. It is open, participatory, and powered by the people. If Old Power is like currency, hoarded, tightly controlled, and operated through command and control. New Power is like a current, flowing, participatory, and collaborative.
At so many levels of society, New Power is on the rise and Old Power is on the decline. Just look at how we’ve moved from:
Encyclopedias to Wikipedia: where knowledge is managed by everyone.
Hotels to Airbnb: where trust is built through peer reviews.
Government-backed currencies to Bitcoin: where value is decentralized.
The crisis of trust in legacy institutions
This transformation fundamentally changes how we give and earn trust. In the era of Old Power, institutions were trusted based on:
Results: the tangible, measurable outcomes of their work
Authority: legacy status, hierarchical power structures, and formal credentials
Expertise: specialized and subject-matter knowledge
But this old model of trust no longer holds. No matter how much good work organizations do, they often find people questioning their relevance. Legacy status doesn’t mean respect anymore. And expertise is seen as disconnected or outdated. How did we get here?
Social media and peer-to-peer platforms have decentralized the spread of information, essentially “democratizing” expertise. Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer found that people are almost as likely to trust information from a peer than they are from a traditional expert.
Movements like Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter showed us the power of grassroots action. These efforts challenged traditional power structures, threw fundamental assumptions of our society into sharp relief, and set off increasingly existential questions about the way our world works.
This collapse of trust and the dispersion of “expertise” has left traditional institutions exposed to a level of scrutiny they haven’t experienced before. In a world increasingly moved by New Power, what is the role and value of Old Power institutions?
We don’t have all the answers. But we do know this: we are in a liminal space, caught between Old and New. Legacy institutions and organizations have to urgently reimagine their role in a changing world and find new ways to earn trust from the stakeholders that matter the most.
The era of storytelling: a new way to build trust
When it comes to communications, we are no longer in the era of expertise, where communicating results, authority, and status built trust. The old posture of “our work speaks for itself” doesn’t cut it anymore. We are now in the Era of Storytelling.
Organizations can no longer expect the work to speak for itself, because that was the rules of the old game. In this new game, organizations must speak for their work in order to stay relevant.
Many organizations sensed this shift almost a decade ago when “storytelling” became a buzzword in the nonprofit sector. We saw a proliferation of stories from the frontlines, from impacted populations, those closest to the problems and solutions. The intent behind this was good. But stakeholders experienced a kind of whiplash: organizations went from being silent castles on a hill to messengers for overlooked populations. This shift missed something crucial. Messengers are not neutral. You cannot broadcast stories without first telling your own.
This is where brand storytelling comes in.
What is brand storytelling?
Brand storytelling is the deliberate and strategic process of communicating an organization’s values, worldview, and mission through authentic narratives. It goes beyond traditional storytelling by centering the organization itself—its purpose, leadership, and actions—to build trust, foster transparency, and align stakeholders. Unlike narratives that focus solely on outcomes or beneficiaries, brand storytelling reveals the identity of the messenger and demonstrates why the organization matters in today’s world.
The new rules of storytelling
What counts in this new era of storytelling?
Values and vision, instead of results
What you stand for and where you’re going matter more than what you’ve done. Stakeholders and the public want to know whether their values are aligned with yours before they hand over anything—whether that’s an email address, a check, or trust. Think of how commercial brands (Peloton, Patagonia, Sweetgreen) have moved towards a purpose-driven branding in the last decade or so. And this shift has only boosted results.
Human connection and authenticity, instead of authority
Trust is built through relatability and openness, not hierarchy. People value leaders and organizations that feel “real” and human, who lean into listening and learning over doing and commanding. Consider the rise of leaders embracing more public and values-driven leadership (Darren Walker of Ford Foundation, Indra Nooyi of Pepsi Co., etc).
Narrative and meaning, instead of expertise
Mean-making matters. People gravitate towards organizations and leaders who can connect the dots and tell a compelling story that helps people understand the why. Donald Trump’s latest campaign and win is chilling proof of how narrative can change everything.
Adapt or resist: the choice for institutions
Organizations have a choice: adapt to the new paradigm or resist.
To adapt means to acknowledge that the public and stakeholders expect different things from institutions today. Many organizations tell powerful stories about the people they serve, but that’s not enough. Messengers matter. Organizations themselves must step into the spotlight, show their cards, share their values and their worldview.
To resist means to cling to old ways of operating. Being silent about your mission doesn’t protect credibility; it allows others to control and manipulate your story. Inaction erodes trust and credibility, both internally and externally.
Reimagining trust
For legacy institutions to stay relevant in a world increasingly shaped by New Power, embracing brand storytelling is no longer optional. It’s essential. Smart and strategic communications are not just about staying visible or top-of-mind; they’re about cultivating influence and creating the "permission space" to execute impactful work with greater momentum.
What is your organization’s story? And who’s telling it? If you don’t shape your narrative, someone else will.
If you’re ready to step into this new era of storytelling, then reach out here. I’d love to hear from you.