The power of storytelling ...
Chances are, your business is not unique. But your story is.
The story that tells what it’s like to do business with you. The power of your brand is in your narrative. The real life narrative that readers start to feel a connection with, recognise, gradually begin to trust, feel comfortable with, talk to their friends and colleagues about, recommend and come back to for more. A straight out hard sales ploy just doesn’t have the same power.
It’s the stories we remember. The stories that strike a chord.
Take advertisers. They’ve used the power of the story to sell stuff since the invention of the printing press. Even the Egyptians were at it, depicting stories in their carvings.
We’ve all seen the power of storytelling in action. Stories that contribute to our purchasing decisions, wear a certain jumpsuit (it never looks the same on me!) or drink a certain gin. The narrative is the weapon of choice for brands in their ongoing battle for superiority. Capturing our imagination and winning over our hearts NOT our heads.
To win over consumers, brands (of any size) need to engage with them. Ensure their target audience will RELATE to their protagonist and the problem they’re trying to overcome.
Put the power of the story at the centre of what you do and you’ll make a connection. Take the iconic “my brother’s a hero'“ Guinness ad from 2001 where Marco swims the harbour not against the clock, but the time it takes his brother to pour his pint of Guinness - genius.
Now I’m not saying you need a Guinness sized budget. But do you see? It’s the narrative that sets you apart. You have a story, your customers have stories. Use them to demonstrate your company values, recent successes, challenges, how your product or service has made an impact on someone else’s life. To engage with new prospects.
Use them as campaign ideas, headlines, newsletter fodder, case studies, past projects, link with industry updates and change, upload as stories for your blog or news feed. But also let them play a part in your key messaging and how you sell your brand.
Getting to the heart of the story takes time. Time to have a conversation, ask a few questions, but above all listen and wait for that all-important hook to snag! (the snag being the idea!) Working out how that “hook” fits with your sector’s landscape requires thought, researching the current “state of play” before writing the headline or narrative. It’s what I do.
One of my clients runs a group of yacht marinas. Located all over the UK. Some for over 40 years with berth holders loyal to the marina for all that time. I’ve chatted with a few about their experiences, why they came in the first place, their marina experiences, why they stay and their plans for the future. These conversations can unearth a real gem of a story.
Take Duncan Baillie’s original Oyster Smack “Rosa & Ada” berthed at Troon since the early 1980’s (thank you Duncan for the featured image). Rosa & Ada had a heritage and back-story all her own, built in 1908, I even unearthed footage of her racing the old Oyster Race in the early 70’s. But the real magic is in the life-long adventures Duncan, his wife and friends have been able to have by having her located at Troon and the fabulous way they’ve been looked after by marina staff. He told me “buying a boat is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
This is the real life narrative individuals feel a connection with, gradually letting the story get under their skin, coming back for more.
Talking of skin. Weren’t we? Well, apologies for the shoe-horned segue, but here’s one story you can’t miss!
Remember Old Spice? Remember “the man your man could smell like” ad? I wish they’d bring it back, it’s the best, not just because of “muscles” obvs. But because this is the stuff of marketing legend, a vignette of a story demonstrating “if you use this stuff, you can look like me!”
To this day, entertaining, impactful storytelling that has a strong part to play in iconic, memorable marketing.
Enjoy! x