Good stories make us think. Make us feel. They create anticipation and surprise us. They help us remember ideas and concepts in a way that numbers and text just don’t. That’s why a good brand story is the best way to reach out to customers and emotionally connect.
Now, take a look at your brand’s story. Is it a good one? Emotionally stirring? Consistent? Is it engaging or is it full of facts and figures?
The SodaStream effect
SodaStream (previously known as Soda club) has always sold Soda makers. Their longtime slogan “Get busy with the fizzy” was all about the fun and taste of their Sodas. In 2012, SodaStream has launched an international campaign to raise awareness of bottle and can consumption effects. The campaign showed 9-cubic-meter cages in various countries, each containing 10,657 empty bottles and cans. Their message was clear and shocking: 10,657 beverage wastes that are produced by one family in five years can be replaced by a single SodaStream bottle. The rest is history.
SodaStream has successfully reinvented itself by telling a new story, which was perfectly adjusted to the uprising concerns of environmental pollution and the need for “greener” solutions.
Every business has a story to tell. This story can make prospects feel something about your company, drive them to action, and ultimately increase revenue.
Our brain is hardwired for stories
That’s why they’re easier to digest. People have been communicating through stories for more than 20,000 years, since prehistoric cave paintings. Every culture employs stories to engage and educate the young generation on how the world works.
Research shows that the brain does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life; in each case, the same neurological regions are stimulated. A good brand story can unite your brand with consumers, by connecting with them on an emotional level.
Even those of us who cannot remember facts and figures will easily remember a good story and most of all we’ll remember how it made us feel. Since our decision making is controlled by the limbic brain, which is responsible for human feelings, behavior and decision making, stories can convey a brand message in a more impactful way – regardless of the medium (advertising, social media, websites, collateral, email marketing).
Stories that emotionally connect build trust. But you need to do it the right way.
An engaging story follows your passion
When people hear your brand story, they do not only learn what you do, they want to know why you do what you do. As leadership expert Simon Sinek says in this wonderful TED talk – “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
The “what” is essentially a list of features and functionalities. Have you ever read a good story that is all about facts and figures? Did you think it was engaging ?
The “why” refers to “why does your business exist”? And it’s not just for the “making money”… Making money is essential (and also great :), but it’s not the root cause. And it is certainly not a trust builder.
The “why” expresses your passion, the secret ingredient of successful people and brands. Nothing is more contagious than passion. Think about the last time you’ve heard an enthusiastic presenter (You can find loads of them in TED Talks). You’ve probably felt excited and maybe even inspired. You may have shared it with others as well… That’s how you want your audience to feel when they hear your brand story. Audience that will sense your passion will be more likely to react. And if you’re not passionate about what you do, why would you expect others to be?
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
Always bear in mind that consumers aren’t stupid. If they’ll think you’re fabricating stories, you will lose their trust and much more…
Be authentic and tell your brand story in an honest and intriguing way. The best stories come from a place of sincerity that builds trust. Trust is a strong motivator and a great way to build loyalty.
Stay Relevant
In our rapidly changing world, consumers dictate a hectic pace, low attention span and fragile brand loyalty. In order to be attractive and stay relevant, it is crucial that your brand story will evolve and stay up-to-date. SodaStream’s product stayed essentially the same – it still inserts CO2 gas (stored under pressure in a cylinder) into water, making it fizzy, but their brand story keeps evolving and changing over the years, while using the same message: from the SodaStream Effect campaign in 2012 to the shame or glory campaign with Game of throne characters in 2016 and NanoDrop campaign in 2017.
SodaStream shocked their audience with some mind staggering facts, which they can easily change if they take the right action. They kept on triggering emotions in subsequent campaigns by harnessing shame, ridicule, science and more, keeping their audience engaged, maintaining loyalty and igniting action.
Your story is your brand. It is the first thing your audience meets, and it forms the cornerstone for the decision to do business with you. Storytelling will enable your brand to connect and engage with audiences on a more personal level, by revealing a more human side. You can personify your brand using wide range of emotions. Just like in a good story … You’ll need to rise above the details and functionalities of products and services to connect with customers using true values and passionate beliefs.
Through stories “We connect, engage, and are moved…to tears, to laughter, to anger, to sympathy, to action.” Sujan Patel
That’s the whole story.