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Many of the greatest companies in the world are exceptional storytellers. They communicate with their audiences in a way that connects the reader with the product being sold on an intimate level. While it may seem apparent that it should be the goal of any marketing campaign to generate interest among its audience, storytelling is one of the tools in our bag that can easily be left out of that active thought/planning process; either missed completely or replaced by sexy new specifications, venues, game-guarantees, etc.
Apple Brand Stories
When you think about some of the greatest consumer product companies in the world, storytelling may not immediately come to mind. Take Apple, for instance. One may not necessarily equate Apple to industry leading storytelling, but Apple’s campaigns are designed with the sole purpose of telling the story of the role their product plays in a person’s life.
Remember the iPod commercial with the young man calmly walking down the street on a fall day. We see his trademark white headphones, and as he passes a wall, his shadow comes into full view and is completely rocking out in stark contrast to the calm, outward appearance. Apple doesn’t choose to spend 30-seconds and millions of dollars trying to sell you screen size, storage capacity or anything of the like. They tell the story of the intimate relationship between a person and their music, and it is on this level that consumers connect with the Apple brand.
The Microsoft Zune has many of the same features. Rhapsody, Amazon, and even Walmart all have music stores. There are many devices and programs in the marketplace that carry the same service and functionality – many of whom are more user friendly and customizable! Yet, Apple continues to dominate their space, and it is due to the marriage of their ground-breaking design with their ability to tell the story of how that design may transform a person’s relationship with their computer, music, phone, television, etc.
Stories You Can Tell
It’s a tough job, attempting to create a virtually instantaneous connection with a reader. Fostering an environment that accentuates a focus on storytelling will help bridge the gap between a reader that turns the page and one who feels a connection with the brand, ultimately leading to a growth in business.
Chris Brogan wrote on this topic earlier today, and raised some great questions while providing some guides as to how to form your stories. Give his post Stories You Can Tell a read and then hit the comments here for a discussion on how storytelling fits into our everyday roles.
