“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.”
– Seth Godin
It’s true. Why do you love your favorite brands? The reason why you love one chocolate ice cream over the other brand of chocolate ice cream might have less to do with taste, and more to do with the story behind the brand. Being able to connect with a brands story is what draws you in, and ultimately, how they win you over as a customer.
The key is to storytelling in public relations is to find out who is listening and why/how they are connecting. Strike their nerve. Then do it over and over again.
This Mashable article outlines four types of attributes that a few powerful brands have honed in on and formed great stories around. The authors highlights the success of the popular brand TOMS shoes for it’s ethical branding. Every pair of TOMS shoes that is purchased, a pair of shoes is donated to a child in need.
This form of storytelling has led to a cult-following of the shoe brand.
Photo via mashable.com
Chrysler has had great success with their “Imported from Detroit” campaign, according to the article. Connecting the brand with its roots humanizes the brand, and allowed the American public to identify with Chrysler.
Photo via mashable.com
Storytelling is critical when it comes to media pitching. Sure, your company is offering a great product. But nobody cares until they know the story behind it. That’s what allows consumers to subconsciously connect to the brand.
Livestrong is cited as a brand that has mastered telling a story of success, with a little attitude on the side. Their Livestrong campaign featured success stories of people battling cancer on their Youtube channel. The key to it’s success? According to the article, the message that everyone is an athlete that can win.
So, what’s your story?
