1. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted version of BCG
Matrix
The 3 essentials,
experts never
disclose about
Storytelling
The Art of
Storytelling for
Marketers using
adapted version of
BCG Matrix
Jasleen Kaur Gumber

2. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted
version of BCG Matrix
2015
Jasleen Kaur Gumber
Introduction- Story, Storytelling and Their Elements
Contents- Assumptions, Anagnorisis and the Success Matrix
Over the last few decades, Marketers have started utilizing the art of Storytelling to create their
brands and bring out in the market and to customers, their Brand Promise and Product
communication. This paper will deal with the Objective and Outcome setting from the
Storytelling exercise. This paper will also deal with a few overlooked yet extremely essential
assumptions we make during the storytelling process.
Story is a narration of real or fictional event(s) with characters which are weaved in a plot. A
story can be both concluding and open-ended depending upon the objective of the story teller.
Storytelling is getting the story in action through words, visuals, or/ and sound. It has matured
like an art over the years.
Storytelling has three elements to it and before any story is even told we make the below
assumptions without even realizing. There is no such problem but the thing to be kept in mind
is do confirm if the story you want to float out in the market does comply to these.
Elements Assumptions
Story Story has a point of view
Storyteller Storyteller has an Objective
Audience Audience has ability to understand the story
Once these assumptions fall in place with the storytelling strategy of the brand, the brand can
be at least taken with surety to be going in the right direction with the objective setting bit of
the story telling strategy. The underlying objective of every digital storytelling is Anagnorisis.
Anagnorisis is a Greek word that is used in relation to theatre performances and stands for the
moment in the play when a character makes a critical discovery; it is the hero’s sudden
awareness of the real situation. Replicating the concept to the Digital Storytelling, Anagnorisis
is the function of customer understanding. A good story would definitely lead the audience
from the stage of Ignorance to Cognizance.
For example- Dove wants to promote the story of ‘You are more beautiful than you think’,
leaving all variables apart, once the audience watches the video completely he gets a sense of
understanding of what the storyteller is trying to put across. That realization is Anagnorisis
which reflects the success of the story told. It is success because the audience has got a

3. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted
version of BCG Matrix
2015
Jasleen Kaur Gumber
comprehension of the message, thus they have undergone a transition from ignorance to
cognizance about the particular topic of the story.
Video Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk
Besides Anagnorisis, below is a two by two matrix which leads to the second level of success
indication.
Each audience has two tools inherent in them, through which they lead to Anagnorisis. First is
Identification and second is Appreciation. An audience is able to feel Anagnorisis if they can
identify with few/many/all elements in the story. There are certain far-fetched, supernatural
and highly fictional stories that no one is able to identify with and yet they may feel Anagnorisis
and that is because they are able to appreciate the story.
These both or at least one is an inevitable part of audience appreciation to a story told. We will
take up a few examples to elaborate that in detail through some very successful digital
storytelling done by brands.
This is a story told by True Move, a Thai brand and deals with a poor boy who witnesses a
miracle in his life turning out to a doctor when he grows up. In the course, he repays a small
help done by an old man to him. This is not our story. We don’t get repaid that way every day
but the fact that every human has the capacity to appreciate this has led to phenomenal
success of this digital story.
Video Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89aowrlN--k

4. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted
version of BCG Matrix
2015
Jasleen Kaur Gumber
There is a thin line of difference between the two videos. Whilst I am a woman, I can identify
with women undermining their beauty whilst others would see it; I am a human enough to
appreciate the act of kindness being compensated.
A marketer or a storyteller should make sure that one of the matrixes is getting fulfilled in his
story if not both.
The below matrix gives a success representation to the story

5. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted version of BCG
Matrix
The above diagram is an adaptation of BCG Matrix for Market share and potential growth.
Above though has been adapted for Mind Share instead of Market Share and growth gets
replicated to digital viral spread.
What is Appreciation Quotient?
Humans are quick to respond with a like, dislike or unconcern. The more universal appeal a
story has, the more any human is likely to like it. Appreciation means, he is able to comprehend
the idea behind the story and understands the communication established.
What is Identification Quotient?
When a human appreciates the art (story here), he naturally feels inclined to identify or see
himself in it, or if the art is negative he tries to identify himself not being like it. This
phenomenon is called Identifying With. A universal appeal in the story following by an
identification quotient is sure to touch more lives than with one alone but it can’t be the case
always hence other outcomes follow like- Cash Cow, Dog and Question Mark
Marketer has options on taking the next steps after he understands where the story he has told
does fit.
THE THREE RULES TO STORYTELLING
The three rules enlisted here don’t promise a story like a fire in woods but certainly these are
core to a well framed one.
-Hide the Storyteller
Humans love stories and they love the storyteller, as long as the storyteller doesn’t interfere
himself in the story. Be subtle with branding the story with your brand. Avoid coming loud with
tagging it as a Marketing effort.
-Kill the noise before you start, by taking it to extremes
In the real world, don’t you wait for the attention from the audience before starting a story?
Would you start telling your story to someone if the radio is playing a parallel music alongside?
No. But how do you control this digitally?
A lot of ‘context setting’ things in Digital storytelling do the trick. The objective is to grab the
attention of the audience to the maximum and this can be done or undone in the first 10
seconds. Many of the ways include:
 Visual Color- Creating a block colored page to silent the stuff going on in the
audience’s mind
 Audio- Modulating the background music, either you start with a bang or a pause

6. The Art of Storytelling for Marketers using adapted
version of BCG Matrix
2015
Jasleen Kaur Gumber
 Cerebral Curiosity- Start with Macro; may be a pollen grain inside the flower, or a
woman playing with her ring. Giving such frames instantly trigger the curiosity in
human mind to comprehend what is coming next. This way you grab their brain
to concentrate.
-Build up the ending of your story, but don’t end
It is natural for human minds to seek ends, completions and conclusions. But what if you get
there- to the end and leave your audience abruptly? They will take it up from there in their
minds. What you get are some extra units of time in the audience’s brain. But what is important
here, is you show them the direction it is likely to end at. A loose closure of the video might
back fire as being incomplete otherwise.
P.S. Some other brilliant stories are here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsjRRMMg_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWA2GbcnJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHGDN9-oFJE
-Jasleen Kaur Gumber
I am working as a Senior Executive with Canon after having completed my MBA from
Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India (Major- Marketing and Minor- Strategy)
and Master’s in English Literature from Jamia Millia Islamia. I can be reached at
iamjasleenkaur@gmail.com or Jasleen.kaur@canon.co.in