A story is a sense-making device that speaks to our emotions. Stories matter as they evoke a psychological response and create meaning in our lives through which we can make better sense of the world. Powerful stories have the capacity to empower and humanize. Storytelling can be successful when it is engaging enough for the audience to incite an emotional reaction while being relevant. Stories have been the most effective and persuasive medium for human communication and competitive offerings. We are humans first, consumers second.
Brands require powerful storytelling to unite the brand’s values to a meaningful emotional experience to its audience, through a narrative material. A strong brand carries a combination of facts and emotions. Storytelling and branding are in that regard closely linked and emanate from the same starting point of emotions and values. Storytelling is the means, branding is the goal. A story drives the bond between the brand and the consumer. In order to differentiate a brand from the competition and to retain loyalty of the customer, a brand needs to create an experience that is relevant and clearly illustrates its unique value proposition.
Brands need to adopt a holistic and strategic communication strategy in order to craft a strong compelling story. It requires a deep authenticity from the brand, in which the message is consistent through all departments and channels that represent the brand. The internal brand voice can be projected through its values, beliefs, and culture. The employees embody the company’s values on a daily basis. They become the great ambassadors for the company’s values and their stories about the product or service. Gaining credibility from opinion leaders, experts and consumer groups, who lend their seal of approval, provide a good source for conveying the story to the media. If these sources form a unified message when delivered, the audience hears the same story, no matter from which medium they receive it, which amplifies the brand meaning. These synergies created across media, reinforce the messaging.
A simple unified message creates greater impact. The audience seldom remembers the statics, or the fine details of the message but do remember how the story made them feel. A good story elevates the receiver to make them feel smart and secure. It does not talk about how great the brand is, but talks about how great their audience can be. Brands place the people as their focus. As the audience internalizes the story, the brand’s story becomes their story. This becomes a catalyst for sharing it with others and for the brand to build a relationship with the audience.
The digital distribution of storytelling not only requires the brand to have a consistent message for the audience, but also make it relevant and within the context of the external environment. The shared values and interests of the online communities bring them together through their engagement. They have the power to mobilize in great numbers and the strength to get the message out more quickly. The audience takes the role of the storyteller and they co-create the parts of the story, which allows them to impart and complete their own meaning. These personal stories are humanized as they are built on values, beliefs, trust and creating relationships. This creates a whole new dimension for interpreted, free flowing exchange of storytelling, with the massive exchange of opinions about the brand’s product or service. But the brand needs to understand which part of the story they need to create and which to co-create with the audience, so it stays close to the intended message.
Companies need to be proactive listeners to the stories of what the customers are saying. The brand can strategically leverage these individual customer stories in its brand building strategy. Customers in this way actively contribute towards the making of the brand. These shared exchanges offer the most credibility for the brand since it comes from the external source of the audience. In today’s connected society, brands that explain how they can bring value and make a difference, enjoy a loyal customer base. Brands need to take advantage of the exciting possibilities of collaborative storytelling, while staying current in the evolving landscape of new media platforms.
The story never ends...