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Think about your favourite TV series. Who is your favourite character? What happened to him or her? For shows that resonate with me, I remember the plots extremely well. But what about that ad you couldn’t wait 5 seconds to skip while watching a YouTube video? What made you want to skip it? It’s probably because the ad didn’t tell a story.
We’re faced with an endless stream of advertisements and marketing nowadays. In a sea of brands fighting for a few seconds of attention from potential customers, what’s going to make you stand out? Storytelling will not only make you unforgettable to consumers but allow them to identify with your brand’s story as well. This also makes them more likely to support your brand – it’s a win-win.
Stories awaken empathy as humans are social creatures. When you turn your brand into a story they can identify with, your brand becomes more than a commercial brand – it becomes a more human brand.
Take SK II’s #NoCompetition campaign for example. They worked together with Olympic athletes for, denouncing the toxic beauty standards in society. SK II is known for such empowering campaigns, which tells a story about the values that their brand advocates. Eventually, I associate empowerment with the brand. When your customer is able to identify with your brand’s story, they’re likely to become loyal customers, especially if your brand narrative lets your audience feel positive emotions.
If you’ve ever watched a Thai commercial, you probably remember shedding a tear or two… or full-on sobbing, by the time the advertisement ends. There’s a reason why Thai ads are so good – they pave a story to deliver their key messages, which creates a lasting impression in our minds. And these stories are often associated with the brand itself. In fact, according to OneSpot research, 92% of consumers want brand ads to feel like a story!
We are genetically wired to love stories, even as children. For a brand to truly take off, it needs to become much more than its services and products - a good brand narrative in your marketing will set you apart from the rest. And once your customers remember your brand from your storytelling, they will be more inclined to support your endeavours – marketing puts you in the customer’s mind for a few seconds, but storytelling keeps you in their minds for a long time.
Before you begin your journey towards storytelling, think about what you want your brand to be remembered for. Brand storytelling is the present and future of marketing – your audience may forget what you said in your marketing content, but they’ll never forget how your content made them feel, and what values they associated with your brand.
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