People have always been fascinated by stories and storytelling. Whether you’re 50 years old gathered around a campfire telling ghost stories, or 5 years old tucked-up in bed listening to whimsical childhood fairy-tales, regardless of your age, society has always been engrossed with stories.
Why are stories so appealing?
Simply put, stories help us to emotionally connect. We happily sit for hours binge-watching the latest TV show, for the same reason the rest of us do – to allow ourselves to be consumed in the latest adventure, fact or fiction. Without realisation, it satisfies our need to connect, to engage, to relate – and in some instances, to gossip. Putting assumptions to one side (excluding a brave hunch), I believe most of us, at one time or another, have been guilty of asking, ‘have you seen the latest episode?’ or a more intensive, ‘I couldn’t believe it when…’. As a society, we want to connect with others and brand stories allow us to do this.
The importance of using story to enhance a brand
It would seem stories are a magical force. They have the power to entice, intrigue and allow consumers to trust a brand over a competitor. For example, two business ventures selling the same product can differ enormously – it is their brand story that sets them apart from their competitors. If you think about a particular brand, let’s say Spotify, or Apple, what would be your reason for owning or using that particular brand? Sometimes the answer just happens to be the easiest, ‘because I like it!’ Even behind the simplest of responses, there is a wealth of marketing, campaigns, branding, and yes, storytelling that has carved it’s rightful path to emotionally connect with you. To the consumer, it would seem as though the brand ‘just feels right’.
A brand story is a powerful tool
Without a brand story, some of today’s decisions would be quite overwhelming, as Simon Middleton explains, “The power of story doesn’t just engage us, it makes us choose, without us even realising. The backlash to human development is that we live in an age where there is a ‘misery of choice’- which product, which service, which shop, which online provider, which tariff? And so on. We all experience both small and overwhelming choices on daily basis. Brands simplify choice so dramatically, so satisfyingly, so easily, that it’s no wonder we use it so much.” (Build a brand in 30 days, Simon Middleton). From this extract, you can see that brand stories do much more than just emotionally engage with us. When used correctly, a brand story has the ability to be an extremely powerful tool. Stories engage with the emotion of the consumer by building connections in our hearts, which makes it hard for us to part with.
What may seem as a consumer’s impulsive decision to choose one brand over another is actually nothing more than the crafted chain-reaction of a great brand story.
The best brands are built on great stories. Ian Rowden, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Group
We take the time to get to know your story and are experts in crafting or enhancing a brand that truly resonates with your consumers. Get in touch to see how we can help.
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An award-winning branding agency, Threerooms has spent over 15 years making brands stronger and businesses more successful. Whether modernising brands with meaning or crafting effective marketing campaigns, our amazing team is focused on delivering brand transformation while providing exceptional customer service.
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