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Technology Is for Storytelling, Not Just for Looking Good

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"Too many times brands get excited about technology and how to look »cool«

and focus on how to implement the technology rather than how the technology

can tell their brand story.Success with new technology comes down to strategy

and how well the technology delivers against that.

—josh cohen, marketingprofs.com

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"Storytelling has been around for thousands of years. It predates writing. Over the centuries, the nature of storytelling has significantly evolved

with the advent of writing and the emergence of new technologies that enabled

stories to be embodied in a variety of media, including books, films, and TV.

Digital technologies are now expanding the scope of storytelling. Mobile, cloud,

social, Internet of Things, Big Data and analytics, AI – all are transforming just

about every aspect of business.

—irving wladawsky-berger, blogs.wsj.com

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In these fast paced times public relations’ and marketing’s role has become much more complex.

but... the cacophony of noise

from social networks the proliferation

of mobile devices

the demand of news skills

to manage this, organizations must turn their attention

to storytelling.

changing TV viewer habits

new media

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These tech brands have knocked food and drink favorites out of the top 10 storytelling rankings

New research shows that technology brands have overtaken FMCG favorites, such as Cadbury and Walkers, as those rated best for storytelling. Although Apple retains the top spot in the 2015 Brand Storytelling report by marketing agency Aesop, fellow tech names Xbox (fifth), Samsung (seventh), PlayStation (eighth), Google (ninth) and Facebook (10th) also broke into the top 10 for the first time.

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did you know that...

The lion’s share of marketers, 81%, plan to increase their use of original written content.

— social media examiner

Only about a third of B2C marketers consider themselves effective at content marketing.

— content marketing institute

56% of marketers are leveraging software to “manage their content workflow and distribution.”

— curata

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Delivering the brand message requires all kinds of customization depending on the medium

and the audience.

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B2B technology marketing really struggles to get away from the product detail and just tell a story.

but one thing remains constant throughout:

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"Storytelling is key, but as with any key it only gets you in the door,” (…)

“What people really want is to merge their identity with something larger.

They want to enter the world the story lives in. The most compelling of these

environments are rich with detail, but the stories they carry are often implicit,

communicated by subtle cues and left for the audience to piece together.”

—frank rose, co-faculty director and senior fellow, columbia university school of the arts

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There’s a definite sense of pride behind retelling a company history,

or the deep technical passion in the product itself but the solution only comes

alive when there’s a story, and as a technology evangelist it’s in those client

successes and how a product really made a difference for a customer

that spark imagination and generate discussion.

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Storytelling shows awareness of how the brand is perceived in the market,

knowledge of the technology behind the product and how it is differentiated,

and the relationship with the customer experience.

3 reasons why you need to tell a story – by theo priestley, forbes

1

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Stories also allow you to express an opinion. Opinions matter, even if they’re controversial, because they help the marketing convey a sense of urgency about the story. Without an opinion, there’s very little passion. Both clients and employees will see right through this. And clients relish opinion; it challenges them to think.

2

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And lastly, it’s about taking those stories and using them to connect

the various departments within the organization itself and with clients.

This allows PR and marketing to connect better with pre-sales and sales

efforts to deliver a more consistent and concise message.

That message feeds back into the product roadmap, allowing

for consistent improvement and adaptation to market needs.

3

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so… how are you gonna tell your story?If you want to engage the audience successfully,

remember about few key qualities:

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All stories involve a partnership between the author and audience:

As the author tells the story, those in the audience conjure it up,

even – if current neuroscience theories are correct – run a simulation

in their head. For the simulation to work, all the details count;

they either reinforce our belief in the artificial world or diminish it.

suspension of disbelief

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If the story world does not reflect

the genuine identity

of the company, it will be

as obvious as an ill-fitting wig.

authenticity is critical

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Audiences today are becoming active participants in the storytelling

process rather than passive consumers. They expect to share their

involvement online, and smart marketers will come up with innovative

ways to encourage them.

social engagement opportunities

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Story worlds can’t be hermetic. They need to be porous enough

for people to pass in and out of them at will. A fair number of Hunger

Games fans are only going to want to see the movie – and many

Burberry customers will be happy just to purchase a trench coat.

They should have that option.

— frank rose, the art of immersion: how the digital generation is remaking hollywood, madison avenue, and the way we tell stories

varying levels of depth

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Today you must not only have

a good grasp of how to unearth

a brand story, but how to tell that

story across a variety of channels?

Whether your field is PR, brand marketing, corporate strategy, or media and entertainment, Prowly will help you boost your communication and gain the tools you need to tell your story effectively.

all channels in one place

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A few rules in multi-channel brand storytelling:

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Your story platform is the emotional heart of your brand. The platform

is built around your brand’s ABCs (audience, brand and category

or competition): Who and where is your audience? How do they

perceive your brand? How do you perceive your brand? How do you

want your brand to be perceived? Who is your competition? Where

does your brand fit in? What’s your brand’s unique differentiator?

don’t treat the launch of a new channel like a Black Friday sale at Best Buy

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Content marketing is about continuous storytelling:

“It’s about a steady stream of storytelling

innovations—large and small—delivered as an ongoing pulse.

A drumbeat.”

— jake sorofman, a research director at gartner

think like a media company

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identify an authority to publish

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Jake Sorofman, a research director at Gartner, believes content marketing

is about continuous storytelling: “It’s about a steady stream of storytelling

innovations—large and small—delivered as an ongoing pulse. A drumbeat.”

make informed channel decisions

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something you should start to live and breathe

none of this is rocket science, but there’s an obvious black hole in how the technology industry shapes its marketing.

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but perhaps more importantly, in the body of the story itself, if you can’t tell your audience:

why your product exists

how it can resolve a pain or need, and how it can

make a difference

where the value in using the solution or service

comes from

who will it help the most, and who has it helped already

when can I get my hands on it, and when will it make a difference…

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…then stop what you’re doing and think again.

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"Because if I can’t understand your story,

neither will anyone who’s sitting in front of you.

— theo priestley marketing: 3 reasons to tell a story, not sell technology

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Technology is constantly evolving. There are amazing ways to use technology

to tell your story, wow consumers and engage them with your brand.

Learn them all with Prowly Magazine.

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