The research has shown that the human brain tends to have a deeper and more effective response to a story comparing to a fact or a figure. Storytelling is a powerful tool that creates a connection and a feeling from the narrative that you bring to your customers. It might sound easy but just think about it - an average consumer comes upon 3,000 commercials a day. How do you make sure your story is the one that gets the most attention?
Most of the commercials follow the we-are-the-best formula: “We make the most comfortable furniture!”, “We have the healthiest food!”, “We sell the coolest phones”, etc. That is where brands got it all wrong. Communication between a brand and a customer is similar to the way we build human relations. I bet no one ever became your friend by shouting aloud that they were the best. Stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. Storytelling lights up the sensory cortex in the brain, allowing the listener to feel, hear, taste, and even smell the story (no wonder, you suddenly get hungry when someone talks about the food). In the capitalistic and globalized world, where brands have to prove they are worth paying attention to, it is significant to learn how to engage with the audience on a much deeper level.
Brand storytelling is creating a connection between your brand and customers by using a narrative with a focus on linking what you stand for the values you share with your consumers. In a nutshell, it is a way to show the soul of the company and a side of your business that the consumers can relate to. A brand story can be anything including the history behind your brand, why it exists, and why this matters, its mission, its relations with consumers. The internet gave us a great gift of convenience and instant gratification making human touch extremely striking. If you want your business to be heard, storytelling should become the compass for your marketing strategy.
There are a few storytelling approaches. For example, Donald Miller, in his book Building a Storybrand argues that the best way to engage with your customers is to invite them into your story. The story should indirectly explain the value they get in return from the product or company. The most powerful brand stories are the ones that feature their customers as the stars. Remember: the brand is not the hero; the customer is.
In my opinion, the best example of storytelling is “The Land of Land Rovers” campaign. To celebrate Land Rover’s 70th anniversary, the team flew to the Indian Himalayas to tell everyone a true story of the local drivers who still rely on 42 accurately maintained 1957 Land Rover cars to provide supplies along the dangerous mountain roads between two small villages, Maneybhanjang and Sandakphu. The story presents locals who proudly say, “We belong to the place where we have Land Rovers”. The 3-minute video gave me goosebumps (and I don’t even have a driving license). Power of words? No matter what it is, the brand succeeded to truly touch people’s hearts and promote the incredible off-road capabilities of Land Rover cars at the same time.
According to a study, 87% of customers want to develop more meaningful relationships with brands. Stories shape brands. Let Green Mo. help you to tell the story of a company that cares about its consumers. The way to succeed is to make your consumers relate to your message and feel something. That is why the right brand story will ultimately maximize your business’s visibility and profit. Words are powerful – choose wisely.