The story dates back to 1819 when John, the founder of Johnnie Walker, was still a young boy working in the farms. John had to sell the farm and started to work at a local grocery shop due to certain issues. However he was quite passionate about blending and brewing and hence he decided to pursue his dreams and to create his own brand. His determination to proceed against all odds made him quite popular. He continued his passion until he passed away in 1857. This motivating story continues to inspire everyone and even after two hundred years the brand continues to be one of the biggest success stories in the history.
Who doesn’t love listening to such real-life stories? Storytelling is one of the best powerful ways that breathe life into the brand. A good story makes the brand more personal and gives a loyal customer base. When we meet someone new in real life, we often ask them a few questions to know them better. We ask them about their ideas, visions, beliefs, and opinions. We are always eager to know their story and to tell our own. Emotional Branding is a creative strategy that has potential to drive revenue and increase the customer retention.
Why the commercials of some of the famous brands like Coca-Cola, MacDonald’s are so successful? These add are crafted and esthetically designed that catches the eyeballs of the targeted consumers. There is one universal feature common in all successful commercials: they all tell a story that people connect.
Fundamentals of Storytelling
Going down the memory-lane, we always tend to remember the teachers who had a creative mindset and presented the boring classroom syllabus into an interesting piece of story. We are social animals and language stands to be the ultimate way of communication and expressing our emotions.
Few fundamentals should be considered before crafting any story. Storytelling is not inventing a new story. Storytelling is about narrating the people about the business, purpose, the exquisite products and services. It is important to tell to the audience about what brand stands for and why it matters to the audience. A good storytelling is not only about the products and services but also about experiences, emotions, and the needs that brand evokes. The main goal of storytelling is to inspire, whether it motivates change or encourages the buying behavior of people. The desired outcome, in the end, drives the direction of the story.
Effective Use of storytelling in the marketing
In today’s world customers have many choices and often ask questions like, what’s your story? Why should we buy from you? The authentic, creative and inspirational story stands to be a key market differentiator for the brand.
A story is the foundation of all great advertisements. During the launch of new products or conferences, it is vital to have a proficient storyteller to tell stories for effective marketing. For example – Steve Jobs was an expert at using storytelling in Apple product launches. He was also a big proponent for incorporating storytelling into Apple’s overall marketing strategy. Steve was one of the most iconic personas who were able to connect with the audience and introduce their services in the most enthralling fashion!
Tapping the Most Effective Medium
Any medium can be used to tell stories including blogs, film, advertisement, film, social media platform etc. During storytelling marketing, it is vital to choose the right platform to promote the brand. Key to success is choosing the right story for the right platform. Short messages work best on the television while the detailed story goes best in print media. In order to be the best storyteller, one must able to know the audience and genuinely understand their desires and concerns, beliefs and attitudes.
Tell stories
Storytelling is a massive part of our day to day life. Utilizing storytelling can help any business to make a better connection with consumers while also eliciting action. Place storytelling at the heart of marketing and advertising to help people understand your brand.
– Abhijeet Kakade, Editor
Storytelling: An effective Branding Strategy
