Storytelling: Enchant your audience with your brand’s story!
"We tell ourselves stories to live."
– Joan Didion, writer and journalist
Welcome to the captivating world of brand storytelling, where every word, every image and every moment tells an unforgettable story. Generate motivation, emotion and inspiration… with the aim of capturing customers and building loyalty!
1. Storytelling, the art of telling a story to engage and persuade
Storytelling is much more than simple narration; it’s an age-old art that transcends cultures and eras.
From primitive civilizations to the present day, storytelling has been at the heart of the construction of human culture, transmitting values, teachings and emotions.
Different types of stories, from myths and fairy tales to legends and epic tales, have always had a profound power to influence our behavior.
They capture our imagination and resonate with familiar elements such as characters, objects and situations, creating an emotional bond with the audience.
By understanding the common characteristics of these timeless narratives, we’re able to use them strategically to captivate and persuade our audience.
By integrating storytelling into your communications strategy, you can create more impactful and memorable messages, strengthening engagement and connection with your audience.
2. Understand the essential elements of an impactful story
All great stories share common elements that make them unforgettable. Here are some of the keys to storytelling that help create engaging narratives:
1. A series of events:
Each story unfolds through a series of events that capture the audience’s attention and maintain interest until the conclusion.
2. A problem to solve or an important fact:
At the heart of every story is a conflict or issue to be resolved, which gives direction and tension to the story.
3.Transformation:
The best stories illustrate a significant change or evolution, moving from the initial situation to a new reality or perspective.
4. The moral lesson:
Finally, each story conveys a moral lesson or deeper meaning that resonates with the audience, offering a reflection on life and its challenges.
By telling a story, we create a universe that gives meaning to our experience.
It allows us to navigate a complex world by giving us a frame of reference and stimulating our imagination.
Stories can take many forms, whether through text, image or sound.
They have the power to move us, inspire us and spur us into action.
By triggering deep reflection and encouraging action, they have a transformative impact, both individually and collectively.
3. Communicating to create links and promote brands
The development of storytelling in business is of great importance to both internal and external corporate communication.
Internally, stories about early teamwork or the founder’s talent, as well as the key events that forged relationships with employees, form the bedrock of the organization.
Externally, storytelling plays an essential role in promoting products or companies, and in building lasting relationships between brands and customers.
As a result, storytelling has become the most sought-after marketing tool, even in the digital age.
It will establish a clear positioning with your audience for a strong, lasting relationship.
A fascinating experiment known as “Important Objects”, conducted by Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, illustrates the significant impact of storytelling on the perceived value of an object.
In this anthropological experiment, low-value objects, mainly acquired at thrift stores or for a few dollars, were auctioned on eBay.
Each object was accompanied by a story elaborated by over 200 writers, rather than a simple description.
Surprisingly, the final selling prices of each object ranged from $20 to $125, several times their original price.
Total sales exceeded $8,000 for all objects.
This experience clearly demonstrates how skilful storytelling can confer a singular value on each item, far exceeding their mere material utility.
4. The evolution of the story, between emotion and relevance
The use of storytelling became increasingly widespread in business from the 1960s onwards, marking a significant evolution in the way companies communicate with their audiences.
This trend gained momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, a period marked by an explosion in advertising production and growing saturation of consumer exposure to promotional messages.
Faced with this saturation, art directors were forced to rethink their communication approaches.
They realized that simply stating a product’s features was no longer enough to captivate and engage the public.
They began to favor narratives that went beyond product features to tell emotionally rich stories, giving rise to a new form of narrative advertising.
5. Harley Davidson: "The Great American Freedom Machine
An emblematic example of this approach is Harley Davidson, the American car manufacturer. The brand has based its communications on timeless values such as freedom and adventure, embodied in the famous slogan “The Great American Freedom Machine”. Through captivating stories featuring a variety of characters sharing a passion for freedom on the road, Harley Davidson has created a genuine community. This community, made up of people from all walks of life, has transcended barriers of age, culture and social status, all sharing the same authentic, daring lifestyle.
6. Apple's launch of the Macintosh: a revolution narrated by Ridley Scott
Let’s go back in time to revisit an important moment in Apple’s history: the launch of the Macintosh.
In 1984, during the opening ceremony of the Super Bowl, the world witnessed a veritable revolution in technology and communication.
The Macintosh launch video, directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, is much more than a simple advertisement; it’s a cinematic work that brilliantly combines literary references and revolutionary aspirations.
Inspired by George Orwell’s book “1984”, the video depicts a dark, oppressive world ruled by an omnipresent dictator, Big Brother.
At the heart of this dystopia, a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a rebellious young woman, played by champion markswoman Anya Major.
Dressed in bright colors in a world of uniform grayness, she embodies freedom and creativity.
Her bold gesture of defiance against oppression, symbolized by the destruction of the screen broadcasting Big Brother’s speech, marks the beginning of a new era.
Through this striking visual metaphor, Apple asserts its position as a rebel company, challenging the established order represented by IBM, and offering a radical alternative to conformity and uniformity.
The Macintosh thus becomes much more than just a product; it embodies a symbol of freedom, innovation and non-conformism.
Even today, this video remains a powerful testimony to the impact of storytelling in the field of technology and communication.
It reminds us that great companies don’t just sell products, they tell stories that inspire, transform and shape history.
Video: https: //youtu.be/VtvjbmoDx-I
7. Storytelling today: 3 examples from video to social media
In today’s landscape, storytelling has established itself as an essential communications strategy, taking on a variety of forms and adapting to new media. Whether through short videos on YouTube, captivating stories on Instagram or other platforms, the fundamental principle remains unchanged: tell a story, create a universe and establish emotional links with audiences.
8. Airbnb
Airbnb’s story, embodied by the slogan “Belong Anywhere”, sublimates tourism clichés by emphasizing the universal need to feel at home, no matter where. By emphasizing the dimension of acceptance and inclusion, the brand creates a “culture of welcome” that unites hosts and guests from all over the world. Visual stories and videos posted on social networks and the website captivate audiences by featuring ordinary people living authentic, enriching experiences.
9. Gucci
Gucci has reinvented its brand by creating a magical and inclusive world of fashion, captivating different generations. Under the artistic direction of Alessandro Michele, the brand has developed an aesthetic universe where eras and cultures mingle, involving iconic personalities from art, cinema and music. From the #GucciGhost campaign in 2017 to the #ComeAsYouAre Cruise 2020 campaign, Gucci seduces its audience with a rich and diverse storytelling.
10. From large companies to small ones. Do you need a large budget to produce a good story?
The answer is no!
While having substantial financial resources can make it easier to spread the story across a variety of channels, the real key to success lies in narrative quality.
We can illustrate this principle by looking at social storytelling, where even with budgets smaller than those of major brands, it’s possible to create significant impact and effectively engage audiences.
11. MUSÉE DE LA GUERRE DU PAYS DE MEAUX - FACEBOOK 1914
This innovative initiative illustrates how a small organization can use storytelling to raise awareness and promote its activity, even on a limited budget. By recreating the fictional Facebook profile of a First World War soldier, the museum succeeded in engaging younger generations and generating growing interest in its exhibition. This authentic, immersive approach not only captivated 60,000 followers on social networks, but also increased the museum’s visitor flow by 45%.
The strength of storytelling lies in its ability to captivate audiences and generate commitment, whatever the available budget.
These examples demonstrate that the quality of the story takes precedence over financial resources, and that creativity and authenticity are the real drivers of success.
In conclusion, telling a story is the most powerful way to entertain, intrigue and connect.
If you want someone to listen to you, be passionate about your product or follow you, all you have to do is tell a story!