Storytelling is a feature that all the great brands use via means of advertising and marketing campaigns. It helps them to connect with the consumers and establish a trust which in turn fosters long-term relationship.
Storytelling aids the brand image by bringing it to life. Let us now break down how great brands use storytelling to occupy a space in the minds of the consumers.
What Are the Elements of a Great Story?
A good story is simple yet profound. It leaves a lasting impact on the minds of consumers. To make sure that one connects well with the audience, it is important to understand their psychographic elements such as values, opinions, attitudes, interest, and lifestyles.
It follows an outside-in approach. This can make it very context specific and hence it becomes an important strategic tool. Consumers usually follow the mechanism of Selective Retention, which basically implies that people tend to forget much of what they have learned but retain the information that supports their attitudes and beliefs.
Thus, the first and the foremost thing to do is to know your audience.
The second thing, of course, is to have a clear sequence of events from the beginning to the end. This is essential so as ensure that the story is coherent and concrete.
The third and most important element is to have points of reflection. To elicit the desired response you should not simply narrate it as a part of your story rather leave a few questions unanswered.
This is a powerful technique to intrigue the audience. To create a compelling story, you need to create various points of interest. But is not a great idea to leave the audience hanging in the air, you need to provide them a direction while you leave something unanswered.
How Does Storytelling Help the Brand?
One basic challenge that an organization faces is to capture the minds of the people due to the diminishing attention span. Storytelling helps to stretch the attention span a little longer and raises the level of engagement by the audience.
Secondly, storytelling allows you to envision your strategy. It gives your brand colour, character, and a plot, thereby bringing it to life. It stretches the imagination and opens room for possibility.
Therefore, storytelling is an essential tool especially for the marketers to take their organization forward.