Storytelling gives marketers the opportunity to form real, meaningful human connections with consumers, to inspire people to become genuinely involved with their brands, to become authentically responsive to their participative audiences, and to give consumers the powerful, lasting sense that they have a level of ownership over the brand itself.

1. Storytelling
March 21, 2013

2. “Why do you need stories?
Everyone needs stories
Adults watch the telly
When children go to bed
And fathers read the papers
And everyone likes movies
And mothers buy the magazines
To see what people said”
-The Land where Stories End, David Foster

3. At the product level:
In a world where consumers are overwhelmed with choices, products that want
to be noticed and adopted must be rooted in the why. Storytelling does so by
tapping into the product’s true value, revealing the interactions at every touch
point the consumer has with it.
At the brand level:
On a larger scale, marketers must also challenge the indifference of
consumers and give them a compelling reason as to why they should choose
their brand over the next. Without a guiding narrative weaving through a
brand’s content marketing efforts, its product or service will just be that, a
product or service, with no emotional connection to its customers.
The Value of Storytelling

4. What Stories Can Do

5. Stories are full of archetypes – patterns that are alive in the
collective unconscious of all societies
They help us express identity and a sense of belonging
within the world.
They connect with people

6. Stories tap into a collective conscious and rely shared
experiences
Through the sharing of experiences communities are
formed, creating a powerful sense of “Us.”
They bring people together

7. Great brands tell stories, and you’re likely to remember the
stories even if you don’t buy the product or service.
Stories that really connect with people live on, and they
achieve the most valuable thing there is – they are retold
They endure

8. Stories are the brain’s central learning and
reference system. We tell stories to make sense of
what we see and experience.
They provide meaning and context to what would
otherwise be a collection of easily forgettable facts.
They provide meaning

9. In an environment of such change & scale, storytelling
becomes incredibly important.
They stand out and get noticed

10. “Stories are the building blocks of human thought; they are
the way the brain organizes itself.” Dr. Mark Turner,
University of Maryland
Stories that are relatable or feel familiar tap into people’s
emotions, and can help them make sense of something.
They help us cope

11. Stories are uniquely able to move people’s hearts, minds,
feet and wallets.
They motivate

12. • Creates an immersive experience, allowing people to
feel they have experienced things they have only
actually seen or heard
• Allows the consumer to be part of it and interact
• Takes us on an emotional journey – appealing to our
wants, needs, desires – while at the same time telling us
about a product or service
• Uses multiple touch points to reach the consumer and
live with them day-to-day
• And a really good story makes such an impact that it
leads to action
A good story…

13. GE

14. Chrysler

15. Toms

16. Google Chrome

17. Storytelling gives marketers the opportunity to form real,
meaningful, human connections with consumers, to inspire
people to become genuinely involved with their brands, to
become authentically responsive to their participative
audiences, and to give consumers the powerful, lasting
sense that they have a level of ownership over the brand
itself.
There’s never been a more important time to be a great
storyteller and we’re in the enviable position of being
among the best storytellers in the world.
The End