“The art of telling captivating stories will determine success or failure in 21st-century marketing.”
(Kevin Roberts, Saatchi & Saatchi)
People love stories. Anyone with children knows this: a good story can even calm the most restless and captivate them. As adults, we are hardly any different. Germany won the 2014 World Cup title and once again made history. An emotional event, with ratings for eternity, that will still be talked about for many years to come. Brand Management and Stories For Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, stories form “the crucial link between people.” The idea that good stories can also bind people to a WE-BRAND seems obvious. With authentic storytelling, a brand effectively sets itself apart from competitors, captures the attention of customers, provides material for word-of-mouth advertising, and offers emotional added value. How Stories Work What sets storytelling apart from a factual argument? If a company like IKEA wants to inform the public that it focuses on thriftiness throughout the company to offer low prices to customers, it could publish corresponding principles. Instead, IKEA nurtures anecdotes and stories surrounding the frugality of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad – such as encouraging employees to write on both sides of paper, traveling by budget airlines, or taking the bus and train, always making use of the senior citizen discount. The advantage of the IKEA method: principles are quickly dismissed as lip service. The quirky stories, on the other hand, instinctively make us believe that waste has no place in the realm of the furniture billionaire. They have a tremendous power of persuasion, which experts in narrative brand communication attribute to a “decreasing critical perception that comes with the immersion of the viewer in the narrative.” This applies even to stories labeled as fictional. That is why world literature can convey enduring truths to us, and why good fables and fitting real-life examples are more impactful in any presentation than pie charts or Excel tables. Our “episodic memory” reliably stores stories; another dream condition for marketing. Stories evoke emotions, trigger emotions, and invite identification. This makes them unforgettable. Conclusion: Storytelling Stories have been told in all cultures and at all times, at the campfires of our ancient ancestors as well as in the Cineplex cinemas of the 21st century. Obviously, the fondness for stories is a human constant. It is time for brand managers to recognize this in its full significance. People love stories. Good stories are unique. A brand that manages to underpin central values with a compelling story gains an ideal differentiator that effectively sets it apart from all competitors. A good story creates a sense of unity between brands, people, and media. Therefore, stories are an indispensable tool for WE-BRANDS. For more information on the topic of storytelling and Hermann H. Wala, please visit: https://www.excellente-unternehmer.de/redner/hermann-wala.html
