BRAND STORYTELLING
Everybody wants Brand Storytelling but what, exactly, is it?
Ask ten people that question and you'll probably get a dozen different answers. Nobody seems to be able to agree on what Brand Storytelling is and its definition varies between - and even within - marketing disciplines.Perhaps this conversation, recently overheard, can help clarify things...
Ask ten people that question and you'll probably get a dozen different answers. Nobody seems to be able to agree on what Brand Storytelling is and its definition varies between - and even within - marketing disciplines.Perhaps this conversation, recently overheard, can help clarify things...
What is Brand Storytelling?
It’s creating a narrative that engages with consumers and communicates how the brand can play a positive role in their lives. That might be by showing empathy, providing reassurance, empowering, solving problems, providing an experience or an number of things.
Sounds like a long story - will people have time to take it all in?
There isn’t a captive audience, so brand stories must be told episodically, across all consumer touch-points.
What if someone misses an episode?
Well, the episodes aren’t really episodes as such – they have to be self-contained stories that can be understood in isolation. Together, they tell the whole brand story.
These self-contained stories – where do they get told?
Everywhere – on the web and social media, on TV, in the press, on posters – across all consumer touch-points.
So, Brand Storytelling uses self-contained stories that, as a whole, communicate a brand’s positive role in people’s lives. Is that right?
Yes – that’s a good definition
It’s also a good definition of Brand Advertising: self-contained messages that together make up a Brand Campaign.
No, no, no – Brand Storytelling is a totally different thing.
Maybe so, but it does sound a lot like brand advertising, albeit with the emphasis on talking to and with consumers, not at them.
Ah – but what about branded and sponsored content, blogs, social media and so on that Brand Storytellers use?
Aren’t they just the modern day equivalents of advertorials, testimonials and word-of-mouth?
Maybe, sort of, but I'm talking about digital channels here.
But the medium is not the message. Brands still need ideas that stand out - ideas based on brand truths that engage, inform, entertain or even move people and, in doing so, communicate a benefit.
Yes - ideas for compelling Brand Stories!
Would you say that a compelling brand story would be a good advertisement for a brand?
I suppose so...
And vice-versa? Is a good advertisement one that tells a compelling brand story?
Yes - but you can't call Brand Storytelling just another term for advertising.
Can I call it BS?
No.
It’s creating a narrative that engages with consumers and communicates how the brand can play a positive role in their lives. That might be by showing empathy, providing reassurance, empowering, solving problems, providing an experience or an number of things.
Sounds like a long story - will people have time to take it all in?
There isn’t a captive audience, so brand stories must be told episodically, across all consumer touch-points.
What if someone misses an episode?
Well, the episodes aren’t really episodes as such – they have to be self-contained stories that can be understood in isolation. Together, they tell the whole brand story.
These self-contained stories – where do they get told?
Everywhere – on the web and social media, on TV, in the press, on posters – across all consumer touch-points.
So, Brand Storytelling uses self-contained stories that, as a whole, communicate a brand’s positive role in people’s lives. Is that right?
Yes – that’s a good definition
It’s also a good definition of Brand Advertising: self-contained messages that together make up a Brand Campaign.
No, no, no – Brand Storytelling is a totally different thing.
Maybe so, but it does sound a lot like brand advertising, albeit with the emphasis on talking to and with consumers, not at them.
Ah – but what about branded and sponsored content, blogs, social media and so on that Brand Storytellers use?
Aren’t they just the modern day equivalents of advertorials, testimonials and word-of-mouth?
Maybe, sort of, but I'm talking about digital channels here.
But the medium is not the message. Brands still need ideas that stand out - ideas based on brand truths that engage, inform, entertain or even move people and, in doing so, communicate a benefit.
Yes - ideas for compelling Brand Stories!
Would you say that a compelling brand story would be a good advertisement for a brand?
I suppose so...
And vice-versa? Is a good advertisement one that tells a compelling brand story?
Yes - but you can't call Brand Storytelling just another term for advertising.
Can I call it BS?
No.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose...