Together with Adfo Groep Lemon Scented Tea is organising Storytelling Expeditions: three boat trips on the Amsterdam canals, where marketers and storytelling specialists will discuss the do’s and don’t’s of storytelling. The theme of the first edition was Story Mining; finding the unique story of a brand or company. The session started off with a quote from John Weich, author of the book 'Storytelling on Steroids‘: ‘Storytelling is a company strategy, not a communication tool’.

1. Story Mining: finding the unique
story of a brand or company
How top marketers think about storytelling
By Lemon Scented Tea

2. The Storytelling Expeditions
Together with Adfo Groep Lemon Scented Tea is
organising Storytelling Expeditions: three boat trips on
the Amsterdam canals, where marketers and storytelling
specialists will discuss the do’s and don’t’s of storytelling.
The theme of the first edition was Story Mining; finding
the unique story of a brand or company.
The session started off with a quote from John Weich,
author of the book 'Storytelling on Steroids‘:
‘Storytelling is a company strategy, not a communication
tool’.

3. How top marketers think about
storytelling
10 takeouts

4. “When you see the stories of a company solely as
content, you wont do that company justice. The story
should be leading, and be deeply embedded in the
boardroom.” – Gijsbregt Vijn, Lemon Scented Tea

5. “All organisations have stories that can be gathered from
employees in every layer of the company. After finding
those stories, companies should spread them in the rest
of the company. Every employee should be able to get
inspiration from the stories of other employees.” – All
participants

6. “A company can have multiple important stories, that
can be used for different occasions.” – Coen Olde Olthof,
KPN

7. “Isn’t storytelling just a different name for advertising?”
– Karin De Loos, independent marketing consultant

8. “Storytelling is different from advertising: it is the glue
that keeps a company together and connects different
parts of the organisation.” – Friso Westerberg, Nuon

9. “The feeling behind a brand is becoming more and more
important. The story is the connection between internal
and external parts of the company: if they differ to much
it is hard to bring the story out to the public.” – Mayke
van Keep, Issuemakers

10. “Story Mining, doing internal interviews, is the
foundation of the brand and it’s marketing
communication.” - Gijsbregt Vijn, Lemon Scented Tea

11. “Storytelling is about what your company really does.
Everyone outside of the company tells stories about your
company, so you have to talk along with them.” – Coen
Olde Olthof, KPN

12. “The time that a brand could sell stories based on
bullshit is over. Nowadays you make your brand with
your customers and their stories; it’s a process of co-
creation.” – Coen Olde Olthof, KPN

13. “International storytelling is harder than it looks:
different countries with different cultures and, on the
more practical side, different budgets, still need to sell
one story. The best way to do this? A story with
minimalized noise, as close as possible to the soul of the
company.” – Sabine van de Velde, Diageo