Why Authentic Storytelling Exposes the Best and Worst of Brands
One of the best things we can do as consumers is reward brands who are transparent with their stories of impact and stop supporting those who remain quiet. I have heard it said that we give our stamp of approval through the dollars we spend; in today’s culture, we send our approval by the attention we give. Let’s take a minute and look at what would happen if our consumer culture engaged with the brands because of stories behind the brand.
When we begin to value stories more, brands engaged in positive, impactful work thrive, and brands who operate for their own gain will be exposed and slowly fade away. When we trust brands because of their stories , we have the opportunity as consumers to support the brands who share our common values, convictions, and frustrations. When we expect brand storytelling as a culture, we are able to choose what messages we support with our money, rather than blindly hoping the brand uses our money wisely. When we expect brands to tell stories, the business culture is forced to focus more on people, rather than profit.
A culture that rewards great stories creates a demand for good stories to be told, causing brands with depth to thrive and shallow companies to fade away.
Sure, you might be asking, “What if brands cover up bad work with good storytelling? Would better storytelling turn our culture into even more of a reputation game than it already is?” Possibly. But, I would rather have our society working towards being more transparent about business and impact than not talking about it at all.
When every brand begins telling stories, it will expose their beauty and depth or expose their shallowness and lack of integrity. If a brand cannot keep up with a culture that rewards authentic stories, that is an indicator that their priorities are in the wrong place. What if brands earned the support of consumers not by fancy marketing gimmicks but by focusing time, treasure, and talent on capturing and distributing a story in a way that appeals to you?
When brands focus their marketing efforts around their stories of impact, they build stronger loyalty, showcase their creativity (or lack thereof), and develop a reputation around their heart to care.
When storytelling becomes a cultural expectation for brands, it will reveal the greatness of those who deserve such exposure and it will expose the shallow work many brands are doing simply to gain a profit.
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Over the last twelve months, our team at Story On has had the privilege of helping brands like OtterBox, Galvanize, Asian Hope International, and others tell stories of lives their work has impacted. Contact me if you would like to talk about how your stories can transform your business.
