Brand Storytelling: Creating seamless experiences in a volatile media environment

Photo Credit: Olivander (Flickr)

What is the last brand message you remember and where did you see it?

Photo credit: Toni Blay (Flickr)

You probably can’t remember, and it’s not a surprise. WHY?

Hard Realities For Brands

Media fragmentation

is growing

Messages do not resonate

Attention is a hard currency

to earn

Photo Credit: Freedigitalpohoto.com, Madd0 (Flickr)

The Communication Conundrum

Consumers and brands rarely, if ever, walk in the same direction.

Messages won’t break through the clutter unless delivered differently.

Brands care about

messaging

Consumers don’t

remember brand messages

Marketing Fixes

Brand storytelling

Reconfigure how we approach the marketing mix

Why Stories Matter

“Stories are important cognitive events, for they encapsulate, into one compact package, information, knowledge, context and emotion.” Don Norman, Author, Things That Make Us Smart

“The story’s power is twofold: it provides stimulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).”

Chip and Dan Heath, Co-Authors, Made to Stick

“Services and goods are satisfying only if they deliver the food of human connection. The stories you tell, and the stories people tell themselves about you and your product or service, enhance or minimize your ability to deliver satisfaction.” Annette Simmons, Author, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins

Speak to the Mind

“The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing” – Publilius Syrus

• Stories provide context around facts, and context awakens the senses

• Attention is a currency – people value their time – and we are willing to give attention to stories

Photo Credit: Illuminaut (Flickr)

Stories Build Perception

Illusion Reality

Emo

tion

Perception

Fact Fiction

The Problem

All I wanted was a fun story. Somebody

please save me.

Most brands stories are dull and fail to inspire emotional connections.

Brand Story Test

• Industry pros talk about “humanizing brands.” But when was the last time you tried writing a brand story with the brand as a character? Or, better yet, writing a story about how the brand’s audience relates to the brand?

• “Once upon a time, brand X…”

Building A Brand Story

Gather as much information about

the brand as possible

Map the brand’s character – the

values, attitude,

Define the audience and map

characteristic

Find the commonalities

between the brand and its audience

Comprehend the challenges

Draft the brand story in narrative

form

Approach From Two Angles

• Think of the brand as a hero

• Define the brand characteristics as if it were a character in a book

• Plot vs. themes

• What is important to the prospect – Functional vs.

emotional needs

• Match attributes

How do both sides

match? Brand Audience

Telling The Brand Story

Think of campaigns as episodes or chapters – Remember, brand stories are a work in

progress

It’s time to rethink how the brand story is distributed

– Recalibrate the marketing mix

– Making sense of the ever-expanding world of media

Thinking in 3D: New Marketing Mix Is Like Layered Cake

Augmented

Social

Mobile

Digital

Traditional

Physical

Story and Design = “Icing”

Augmented

Social

Mobile

Digital

Traditional

Physical

Brand story and Design

Brand story and Design

Brand story and Design

Brand story and Design

Brand story and Design

Photo Credit: Anrea_R (Flickr)

Slicing the Cake: Media Types

Shared Owned

Organic Paid

Photo credit: probonobaker (Flickr)

Through People’s Eyes

A consumer’s response or reaction to a brand will always be based on experience

Story is a way of creating memorable experiences and integrating facts in a manner that will better resonate if executed well

Brand

One last thing….

We are the scribes and narrators of the

brand story because as communicators

our role is to serve as

a bridge between

brands and

their audiences.

For more information, contact us at

630-932-4242

Presentation developed by

Miguel A. Cano, Digital and New Media Director