Memorable Brand Storytelling on Instagram during 2025

Many brands use Instagram to tell their stories and engage their customers, fans, and followers. To these brands, I applaud you. However, there are some brands that outshine all others with their posts that align with stories that dominate the mainstream news. To these brands, I salute you for your quick and timely posts.

Sherwin-Williams is a brand that shares content quickly based on the news of the day - and does it amazingly well! Brands can learn a myriad of lessons from Sherwin-Williams about brand storytelling, social media marketing, social media engagement, social listening, and social metrics.

Without further ado, here are my favorite picks from Sherwin-Williams' posts on Instagram during 2025.

NOVEMBER

Arrival of WICKED: FOR GOOD in movie theaters

"You're trying to pick between two wickedly good colors: green, pink, green, pink."

NOVEMBER

The colors of the Northern Lights

"Did Mother Nature paint the skies where you live this week?"

FALL - OCTOBER

Colors of fall

"Which seasonal color will you fall for?"

SUMMER - JUNE

Lemonade

"Savor summer with our June color of the month. Try icy lemonade on cabinets, walls, and furniture."

MAY

Mother's Day

"Don't forget to send flowers. Happy Mother's Day."

MARCH

St. Patrick's Day

"No luck needed. Find your next paint color with help from our Color to Go samples."

What brand impressed you with its timely posts on Instagram during 2025? Chime in and share.

SHARE THIS: People think in stories, not statistics, and marketers need to be master storytellers. ~Arianna Huffington #BrandStorytelling #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Image Credits: Sherwin-Williams via Instagram.

My First Week on Threads

By now, everyone who uses social media (and who doesn't?) has heard that Meta launched a new social platform on July 6th intended to compete with Twitter as the social water cooler, where users discuss anything and everything ranging from the news of the day to cute photos of cats on Saturday, also known as Caturday.

The appeal of Threads (and I must say, what a great name symbolizing threads of discussion!) was the ease of creating an account if you already had an Instagram account. According to CNBC, there were 100 million signups in the first five days, representing one of the fastest debuting apps of all time. However, according to data from SensorTower and Similarweb, the platform has seen dropoff in growth and engagement following the first week.

While the platform is not being promoted as the place to discuss news and politics, there is no doubt that users will. In fact, many hope that hate speech and misinformation will not appear on Threads.

According to Anthony Bartollacci, managing director of SensorTower, "The backing of Meta and the integration with Instagram likely gives Threads a much higher flood (of traffic) than other services, but it will need a more compelling value proposition than simply 'Twitter without Elon Musk.'"

According to David Webb, senior insights manager of Similarweb, "While there was intense interest in checking out the app initially, not every user has made a habit of visiting Threads as often as they might other social apps."

Lastly, according to Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence, "Meta only needs 1 in 4 Instagram users to use Threads monthly for it to be as big as Twitter."

So, have you created an account, and what do you think of this new platform?

Check out my link: https://www.threads.net/@debbielaskeymba.


Image Credit: Threads/Meta.

Three Instagram Brand-Building Tips from Halloween

 

Instagram is an easy-to-use and fun social platform for brand-building. Brands use it to share engaging images, thought-provoking quotes, and timely product or service launches. If a post grabs viewers’ attention, they will comment or like it – thus increasing brand awareness.

While holidays present an opportunity for memorable posts, Halloween provides three useful tips for brands to apply toward other holidays later in the year like Thanksgiving, the December holidays, and New Year's.

COLOR
Color is a universal way to tell a brand’s story. What brand is associated with red? Coca-Cola. What brand is associated with brown? United Parcel Service. What color provides the nickname for IBM? (Big) Blue. Once October begins, all variations of orange take front and center. Recall the beverages served by your favorite coffee houses and doughnut stores at this time of year: pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin iced coffee, pumpkin spiced iced latte, to name just a few.

My two favorite examples are a post by Pantone, the color company brand, and a post by Sherwin-Williams, the paint store brand. Candy corn, the most popular candy from Halloween is featured, and it is comprised of several colors. Pantone showcases the specific colors that align with candy corn. In Sherwin-Williams’ post, jelly beans are featured, and one specific color is called out. Does your brand integrate color in a creative way during October, November, and December?

HUMOR
When brands introduce characters into their posts, they often showcase humor, and humor is a universal way to attract interaction and support. Who wouldn’t laugh at the Muppets, the Energizer Bunny, or the M&M characters? Does your brand have characters that tell your brand’s story? If not, how can your brand integrate characters and humor into your Instagram posts?

My favorite example is a post by M&M’s chocolate candies. Two chocolate characters, Brown and Red, are featured in a field full of pumpkins. Everyone can associate with the two characters because everyone would like to have fun with their family and friends in a field of pumpkins.

TRADITION
When brands integrate elements of tradition into their posts, their posts become embraceable. When we think of the fall season with colder weather, the beginning of the holiday season, leaves changing color, we often think of times spent with family. And food is often associated with family gatherings. Starting with Halloween and pumpkins, there is the arrival of pumpkin pie. What’s more traditional than pumpkin pie?

My favorite post that demonstrates tradition is by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. This post shows how its pumpkin beverage was created by the traditional pumpkin pie. Do your brand’s posts show how your product or service originated or began?

How will you apply these three Halloween tips to your brand storytelling during the remainder of the holiday season? Chime in to share.


Image Credits via Instagram: @MMSChocolate, @Pantone, @TheCoffeeBean, and @SherwinWilliams.

Five #BrandTips from New @SussexRoyal on Instagram

With the focus on user privacy in social media circles and in Washington, there is rarely good news in this arena. But this past week, there was the launch of a new account on Instagram, and based on its popularity in record-breaking time, there are five brand tips all brands can learn from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their new Instagram account.

Pick One Social Media Account
There are many social platforms where you can build your digital brand's presence. But do you have the personnel to handle updates and responses? Do you have a marketing plan for each platform, and how does each platform align with your overall marketing strategy? This past week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, launched a new Instagram account, their sole social presence. According to their first post, "Welcome to our official Instagram; we look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues." The first post was liked by nearly 1.3 million viewers; and the account has attracted 4.6 million followers.

Create a Memorable Name
Is your brand name the name for all your social sites? If not, what did you choose for your name? Do your customers and fans easily remember it? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed the naming pattern of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who chose @KensingtonRoyal for their Twitter and Instagram account names. The new account is called @SussexRoyal, not a name for their new home 25 miles outside of London, but a nod to their title, which has been synonymous with Prince Harry since he wed the former Meghan Markle. After their wedding, Queen Elizabeth gave them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Create a Memorable Logo
Does your logo match your brand? Are the colors easy to understand? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex created a memorable logo for their Instagram account that is fun and youthful. Their initials of H and M are intertwined, and a crown sits on top of the initials. The color matches the same shade of blue that appears on the main Royal website (www.royal.uk).

State Your Social Guidelines
As with all other Royal Family social media sites, there are guidelines. Does your brand have guidelines that are prominently displayed on your website or elsewhere on your social platforms? These are different than terms of use, terms of service, and privacy policies. If you don't have any, read the Royal Family's Social Media Community Guidelines in full at https://www.royal.uk/social-media-community-guidelines.

Launch When You Have Something Important to Announce
With the baby Sussex planned to arrive sometime during the next month, the timing for the launch of this new Instagram account was clear: The couple wanted an easy-to-use social platform where they could share their news on their own terms. How does your brand use Instagram?

What other brand tips did you notice from the @SussexRoyal's new Instagram account and early posts? Chime in and share.


Image Credits: @Instagram, @SussexRoyal and @TheRoyal Family.

Does Your Brand Pop on Instagram? 5 Branding Tips from Beverage Brands

Twitter is the social network known for brevity and sometimes pithy thoughts. Facebook is the network for connecting and sharing updates and photos with family and friends. LinkedIn is known for professional networking. And Instagram is known as the social platform where visual posts make the most impact.

You’ve heard the saying that, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, in today’s social era, most people look at photos, illustrations, and videos more than they read 1,000-word blog posts, newspaper articles, or white papers. Who reads white papers anymore? But back on point, many industries use Instagram successfully to promote their products or services, but one industry in particular is a good fit for this platform, the beverage industry. The following five beverage brands can teach all industries how to be Instagram experts. Check out their five branding tips.

While initially known for warm drinks, such as, lattes and cappuccinos, Starbucks created cold coffee and non-coffee drinks to expand its product line and increase its market share. A typical post shared by a fan with the caption, “Sandy beaches and strawberry sunsets,” demonstrates the brand’s fun and colorful spirit.

A TIP FROM STARBUCKS’ POSTS
Color is the name of the game on Instagram – especially with beverage brands. How does your brand integrate color and colorful settings? Are your products naturally colorful? If not, strategically integrate colorful settings that serve as visual contrast. Yellow, blue, and pink are good background colors – and don’t ever forget the power of white space. Lastly, an image with just a brand name and tagline can speak volumes.

While initially known for its high-end home-brewing coffee machines, Nespresso created boutiques, sit-down cafes that serve food to accompany its delicious coffee. Visitors can sample the products in real time while receiving excellent service. In this sample post, Nespresso showed one of its drinks as it would be served in a Nespresso boutique. You can almost taste the coffee from the photo and imagine sitting in the boutique checking out all the high-end coffee brewers.

A TIP FROM NESPRESSO’S POSTS
Does your brand showcase how it operates? Does it showcase its product line in a variety of settings and situations? Do you showcase customers simply enjoying your products? And, if you have a new delivery mode for your products, make sure to also promote it.

Known initially for its 100 percent orange juice, Minute Maid showcases its other products to introduce customers and fans to its many drinks. In this sample post, the Berry Punch was featured with strawberries to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

A TIP FROM MINUTE MAID’S POSTS
Do you add holidays to your marketing strategy? While some holidays are celebrated in the USA, such as, the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, there are countless other special days that may be appropriate for your brand to recognize and celebrate. For example, if you are a cosmetics brand, you may want to celebrate National Lipstick Day (July 29) with a free lipstick give-away discount – think of the many images of lipstick and lips you could post. If you are an ice cream brand, you may want to celebrate National Ice Cream Day (July 15) – think of the many images of ice cream in cones, waffle cups, or pies that you could post with happy faces. And if you’re a lawyer or law firm, you may want to recognize National Be Kind to Lawyers Day (April 10) – there are too many images that you could post for this special day.

Known as a French brand of carbonated water, Perrier is more well-known throughout Europe. But for those who drink carbonated water, the brand is second-to-none. This post celebrated America’s Fourth of July.

A TIP FROM PERRIER’S POSTS
Does your brand celebrate global events? Did your brand celebrate or promote Prince Harry’s Royal Wedding in England in May? Did your brand celebrate or promote the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016? How about the last French Open tennis tournament? Of course, if you make tennis rackets, you may have created a contest for two lucky fans to win a trip to Paris to attend the French Open. I’m sure you could have designed a great image for Instagram including all the details in your description.

Known as the light beer “born in the Rockies,” Coors Lite often posts on Instagram with its characteristic Colorado mountains and highlights mountain climbing in some manner. In this post, hashtags #MondayMotivation and #ClimbOn are featured with a caption, “Try something so new it doesn’t even have a hashtag,” and then it invites a fill-in-the-blank for fans.

A TIP FROM COORS LITE’S POSTS
Do you invite your customers and fans to engage in conversations in social media? Do you ask questions that entice fans to share a comment? Do you include a fill-in-the-blank in your questions? Do you invite fans to add their own hashtags? If yes, do you read and respond to all the comments, and in a timely manner? If you answered no to all these questions, you are either not asking the right questions, or you’re not asking at all.

As you work to expand your brand’s digital footprint in Instagram, remember that your social media marketing must be aligned with your overall marketing strategy for brand consistency. And lastly, don’t forget the purpose of social media. In the words of customer experience expert Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar on Twitter), “Don’t do social, Be SOCIAL: sincere, open, collaborative, interested, authentic, and likeable.”


Image Credits: Collage made with Layout app. Thanks to these Instagrammers:
@Starbucks, @Doctor_K_2017, @Perrier, @CoorsLight, @MInuteMaid_US, @Nespresso, and @FromRomanawith.love.

Instagram’s Logo Change – A Look Back

Back in May, you may recall that Instagram changed its logo. With the buzz now history, let's take a look back at how the logo change was viewed by some members of the media as well as the reasons behind the design change.

According to Instagram's blog, "You’ll see an updated icon and app design for Instagram. Inspired by the previous app icon, the new one represents a simpler camera and the rainbow lives on in gradient form. The Instagram community has evolved over the past five years from a place to share filtered photos to so much more — a global community of interests sharing more than 80 million photos and videos every day. Our updated look reflects how vibrant and diverse your storytelling has become. Thank you for giving this community (of 400 million users) its life and color. You make Instagram a place to discover the wonder in the world."

Instagram's logo, a retro-looking camera, was one of the most recognizable logos in the entire tech sector. That logo was replaced by a background swirl of sunset colors (orange, yellow, pink, purple) and a white outline of a camera. According to Hannah Jane Parkinson of the Guardian, "As if the camera was murdered - chalk was drawn around its body. Murdered at sundown."

Ian Spalter, Instagram's head of design, said everything correctly in this statement: “Brands, logos and products develop deep connections and associations with people...and we thought we could make it better."

However, Lauren Keating reported in Tech Times, "Instagram lost its mind when it decided to do away with its iconic logo and replace it with the most colorful and vibrant icon we could imagine. It is almost like the purple/pink-fading-to-yellow icon is a metaphor for the end of an era for the app. Sure, it was supposed to signify the changes and evolution of the popular photo-sharing app, but all it does is remind us that the sun has set on its reign as apps like Snapchat continue to rise in popularity. While some may like the colors instead of thinking they stick out like a sore thumb, you have probably noticed how hard it now is to find Instagram by its icon."

There was a different point of view expressed by Lesya Liu in Entrepreneur, "The most recent update is only skin-deep - it did not affect navigation - so it’s very likely people will get over it in a few days, just like they got over the recent algorithm change. After all, Instagram is a very popular platform these days. For a lot of businesses, this is the way to reach millennial demographics, the generation that currently holds the largest buying power. Overall, there are people who really love it and really hate it, which is understandable when one of the respected apps changes something. Yet, the updates are only cosmetic and do not affect the meaning and the value behind the network."

But isn't that the point of a memorable logo? Don't people gravitate toward a logo due to its design? And don't some designs appeal more than others? Think of Nike - its logo appeals and connects more with athletes and runners than those who needlepoint and knit. Think of BMW - its logo appeals and connects more with race car drivers than swimmers. And think of Apple - its logo appeals and connects with techies more than farmers.

Four months after the logo change, do you like the new logo or do you hate it? More importantly, has it stopped you from using the app to share your fave pics and videos? If you're like me, the answer is a big fat NO.

[Images courtesy of Instagram]

Five Brand Tips for Second Half of 2016

With 2016 nearing the halfway point, it’s time to review your brand strategies and see how effective your overall marketing initiatives have been. But wait. Before you review the email marketing metrics, website traffic metrics, and other key performance indicators, you can learn a lot about your overall marketing impact by reviewing your brand equity. According to Wikipedia, “Brand equity refers to the marketing effects or outcomes that accrue to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have the brand name. “ So if you don’t like what you see, consider implementing these five brand tips for the remainder of 2016.

TIP 1
Build a more engaging Instagram presence and profile. While social media and social networking platforms come and go, Instagram has solidified its popularity with more than 300 million users. Since Facebook purchased it back in 2012, Instagram has become “the home for visual storytelling for everyone from celebrities, newsrooms and brands, to teens, musicians, and anyone with a creative passion.” So, does your brand have an Instagram profile? Some brands that effectively use the site to tell their stories include Tiffany & Co., Sherwin-Williams, M&Ms, Oreo, and the San Diego Zoo.

TIP 2
Build a top-notch mobile experience for your brand. Since most interactions between your brand and prospective customers result by a visit to your website, without a doubt, you want an amazing state-of-the-art website. But upon further thought, many people access the web from their smartphones and mobile devices – on a staggering rate. So that amazing website just might not be amazing on a small screen. Therefore, it’s critical that your site be responsive so that the important information can be seen, read, and acted upon. According to Wikipedia, “Responsive web design is an approach to web design aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing and interaction experience, easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling, across a wide range of devices from desktop computer monitors to mobile phones.”

TIP 3
Conduct a brand audit. If you haven’t conducted a comprehensive brand audit in the past two years, it’s long overdue. This means everything that reflects your brand – all printed collateral, signage, main website and sub-sites, all social platforms, logo, tagline, color palette, press releases, corporate communications, overall brand voice – must be reviewed for consistency and relevancy. If they don’t align, you have work to do.

SHARE ON TWITTER: If everything that reflects your brand doesn’t align, you have work to do. ~@DebbieLaskeyMBA

TIP 4
Review and update your brand promise. Is it still relevant? Is it still supported by customers? In addition, is your brand story easy to understand? Is it easy to tell? Edit, tweak, and edit again. Make sure everything is up-to-date, relevant, and easy to understand and share.

TIP 5
Engage your employees so that they are enthusiastic about their most important job: being ambassadors for your brand. When employees are happy, customers feel the excitement and want to be part of the brand experience. Educate employees, inform employees, and reward employees. All employees are brand advocates whether they think they are or not.

And one final reminder as you look toward the second half of 2016, to quote Michael Eisner, former CEO of the Walt Disney Company, “A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.” Don’t mess up your thousand small gestures!