How to Boost Brand Reputation Through Storytelling
6 trends that disrupt visual storytelling in marketing
Storytelling in marketing has been propagated as the future of marketing for quite some time. Today, many globally operating companies take advantage of the fact that a brand will be better memorized if it has an emotional connection to its target audience. Brands that are associated with a story are said to be remembered about 22 times more effectively.
“Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools available to effective communicators” — PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2017
It is widely known that mankind has an attention span shorter than that of a goldfish, and many believe in a general decrease in the attention span of individuals. However, Prezi’s research has shown that the information overload we face every day simply forces us to become more selective about what we want to focus our attention on. Nearly half (49%) of respondents said that they are more selective in the content they consume today than they were a year ago. What the viewers want are stories that move them. These following 6 trends help marketers create a particularly effective and disruptive story that cuts through the noise.
1. Traditional (Emotion-driven) Storytelling
This principle can be found in almost all the following storytelling strategies. After all, people need emotions. Stories release chemical substances in our brain, including oxytocin (emotional bonding), dopamine (pleasant feelings), and cortisol (attention). The viewer’s attention is particularly drawn to stories that are based on a surprising turn of events or an “aha” moment:
Emotional branding draws on the findings of emotion research and neuroscience and can influence a company’s sales figures drastically. In conventional TV advertising, a consumer’s willingness to buy is tripled when the advertising is emotionally touching. However, this happens largely unconsciously:
“Brand, product and advertising messages are perceived largely unconsciously. Therefore, when it comes to purchase decisions, it is usually not the cognitively processed, conscious information that leads to a decision, but rather the implicit emotional associations that are transported via brand communication and linked to the brand and the product”. — Interrogare
2. Data-Driven Storytelling
It is expected that by 2025, 463 exabytes of data will be created every day.
Companies are already generating an enormous amount of information which, if used correctly, can tell an impressive and most importantly unique story. In recent years, more and more analysts have deployed data-driven storytelling to bring their transactional and customer information to life and create compelling stories to reach their audience.
Data processing can be interesting, but often requires a high degree of attention from the viewer. Attention goes hand in hand with the idea of the goldfish, for we know that our brains want stories, not statistics. Stories leave a stronger impression in our brains than raw numbers and thus we can recall them more easily. Human interpretation of data is better when it is presented as a story. The basic principle of data-driven storytelling is that you as a creator interpret the data for your audience. Keep your message simple and focus on the heart of the story and most importantly: emphasize the human aspect in your narrative.
The undisputed master of data-driven storytelling is — how else could it be — Google. Raconteur’s “A Day in Data” research illustrates the amount of data produced every day. Search engines register 5 billion search queries daily, of which 3.5 billion are done via Google. By using its search data to tell a heart-warming story, Google delivers an advertising campaign that tells the story of the brand and resonates on a personal level. Simultaneously, the viewer has the feeling of being part of a larger movement:
Of course, SMBs or start-ups can implement data-driven storytelling as well, for example, to conclude a user’s most popular songs, which the user can then share on their social channels. Spotify went one step further and turned this data into creative and entertaining advertising banners:
“Dear person who played ‘Sorry’ 42 times on Valentine’s Day, What did you do?” — Spotify, 2016
3. The Customer-led Story
Brands seize the opportunity to process positive customer opinions as an effective tool for advertising. In fact, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and the majority trust customer reviews more than they trust traditional advertising. With the world becoming more interconnected, users now have countless opportunities to share their feedback. Effective customer-led storytelling means packaging these opinions into a story and presenting it authentically and sincerely. Apple uses the insights of customer-generated storytelling to put its product at the centre of the story without being overly exuberant. The company says:
“People reach out to Apple all the time to share how Apple Watch has become an indispensable part of their lives. Here are some of their stories:“
Today, the options for user-generated storytelling are limitless. A passionate customer, for example, will be delighted to run a social media takeover day, and microbloggers or influencers are a great way to start off if the brand is not well-known yet. Additionally, customer reviews are an essential part of marketing, far beyond classic review platforms. Company profiles on Facebook and the Messenger are now widely used for reviews and customer service. With customer-generated content, you can increase your reach without having to spend Apple’s budget.
4. CSR and Storytelling
A study conducted by Splendid Research showed that more than two-thirds of consumers are willing to pay more for products from companies with strong social commitments. However, many are already tired of the so-called “greenwashing” of companies. Effective communication is about knowing who you are telling your story to and to evaluate your audience’s acceptance. Fundraising campaigns or the call to represent a certain cause can be very well accepted by the viewer. As an example, Unilever is committed to protecting one million trees in Brazil and Indonesia. All this is part of a wider plan which intends to halve the environmental footprint of its products. This was presented in a touching story:
Key takeaway: Go beyond the sustainability report. CSR, financial, and sustainability reports are transparent but often lack the creative aspect. Digital storytelling is changing the way we communicate corporate values and will be remembered for a long time.
5. Storytelling Through Extended Reality
Following top trends such as Pokemon Go or the AR filters we know from Snapchat, Instagram, and co., it is obvious that companies are increasingly trying to connect with their audience via augmented reality. While Augmented Reality (AR) is already used by many brands, for example through branded Instagram filters or custom-built AR software such as that of Coca Cola, marketers have found that Virtual Reality (VR) is particularly suitable for storytelling. Virtual Reality (VR) implies a completely immersive experience that excludes the physical world and places the viewer in a real or imaginary environment completely. However, VR equipment is required for this purpose. Thus, this concept is costly and is not yet ready for mass production in contrast to AR.
A great storytelling example was introduced by the National MS Society and the professional surfer Robert Weaver, who together created a virtual reality experience through VR glasses to get Steve, an ex-surfer diagnosed with MS, back on the waves:
6. The Hero Story
According to Forbes, the most effective stories are those that have a dramatic plot, where the hero has to overcome a challenge, a setback, or a failure. The hero is learning a lesson and transforming himself by becoming a better person. Usually, in marketing use, the roles are clearly defined: The customer is the hero, not the company. The product or service only takes on a supporting role in the heroic story.
A prime example of this is Starbucks’ 2017 campaign “Upstanders-A Warrior’s Workout”, which is based on a true story and features real everyday heroes. Upstanders is an original series from Starbucks that recognizes ordinary people who do extraordinary things to make a positive difference in their communities. “Former pro football player David Vobora gave up a lucrative career in private fitness to work with wounded warriors. His workouts have brought them new strength and inspiration.” The product itself, Starbucks coffee, is presented in only a few sequences and is barely noticeable:
“Today, if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you also have to be a good storyteller,” — Richard Branson in a Forbes interview
The human brain is genetically tied to appreciate storytelling, and in today’s world of constant information overload, a well-told story is often the best chance for a marketer to capture the attention of his audience. This principle can be used on a cross-platform approach, but as the trend is moving towards video, with a predicted 82% of traffic being audio-visual in 2022, according to a report published by Cisco, a compelling story works well via video applying at least one of the six principles above. Ideally, go for an emotional, data-driven, VR-based story about a satisfied customer who will be the hero of some sort and gives something back to society.
If you still think the storytelling trend is an old thing since it has been around in marketing for years, you are quite right, as we can see in this Ford advertisement from 1956:
Further Sources on this Topic via Digital Marketing Institute, Hubspot.
