In crafting your brand message, you have to be an engaging storyteller.

B2B or B2C, product or service, you story is what will turn suspects into prospects into leads into customers into brand evangelists. Be visible, be engaging, be relevant.

But in the struggle to tell your story well, you must walk a tightrope: entertain too much, and risk a failure of brand linkage. “Sell” too much, and risk turning off sales-avoiders, including most millennials.

One obvious problem is repeating your name. Overdo it, and you sound like a local car dealer. Underdo it, and lose memorability and attribution.

The long-running spot featuring “What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?” is a prime example of how to do it right. It’s long-running because it has enough play value to withstand high frequency (i.e., it doesn’t annoy the crap out of people). Because it includes the brand identity in the hook, “State Farm” gets spoken four times. Also, strong logo ID in the middle (in the SF office) and at the end title. Not to mention a footnote with the mandatories. Have you seen it?