Brand Storytelling: Buzzword or Marketing Tool-Kit Essential?

UK Agency, Aesop has just released figures for its annual survey of the ‘UK’s top storytelling brands’.

Aesop surveyed 2,800 consumers about 154 brands, asking participants to what extent each brand fulfils different criteria, such as if the brand…

“Has a clear sense of purpose and vision”

“Produces content you want to share or talk about”

“Made you want to see what they will do next”.

While still qualitative, Aesop managed to distil useful and measurable data from the fairly abstract notion of storytelling. Often seen as a bit of a buzzword in marketing, here, its true impact is backed up by solid results and dare we say it, tells a story.

But what were the results?

KEY FINDINGS

Coming up trumps at number one was Apple and in last place, N-Power ranking 154th.

Strangely, for the first time in the history of the survey, no supermarkets made the top 20.

Instead, charities and tech companies dominated the rankings.

Director of narrative at Aesop, Ed Woodcock estimates tech companies are leading the way because they are “platforms for other people’s stories”.

Moreover, the voluntary sector boded well with consumers because of the deep emotional connections people form with them.

There was also a clear correlation between internal business issues and brand perception. Morrison’s suffered a chaotic business year which included a major management change and a 52% slide in profits in March.

The results were clear as day.

Only 13% of respondents cited the retailer as a brand they ‘feel an emotional connection with’, while just 15% said it produces content that is ‘memorable’.

STORY FACILLITATING> STORYTELLING

While telling stories as a means of communication might work for a traditional ad agency like Aesop, at Caliber, our grounding in digital means we’re more like story facilitators, rather than story tellers. Storytelling in its most basic format is generally a linear process. It’s as old as Shakespeare and as simple as The Hungry Caterpillar: there is a beginning, middle and end.

Our grounding in digital means we’re more like story facilitators, rather than story tellers.

Digital experiences are far from linear. Online platforms are fluid and versatile in nature. They allow consumers to engage with brands at various entry points, whether that’s on-site, through social media or when consuming content. The success of our campaigns revolves around the stories consumers generate. We provide the topic and the soapbox, they bring the narrative.

Digital experiences are far from linear. Online platforms are fluid and versatile in nature.

In saying that, understanding the power of story can only inform and improve how we make content. What’s more, it can help better predict how customers might use our content to tell their own story.