Storytelling – noun. 1. the sharing of events with words, images, sounds, and/or experiences.
People want stories, not advertisements. We want to laugh, cry, and most of all, connect with things and other people. Good marketing is not just a billboard or a TV commercial, it’s a story that forces us to feel something.
Storytelling in marketing is different than storytelling in the traditional sense. It’s not a mother reading her child a book before bed, but captivating an audience with a message in a way that makes them personally relate. The key to storytelling in marketing is condensing a story down to its core and trimming the fat, so to say. Every company, brand, and even individual has something to say, and as consumers, we choose to ignore the vast majority of these messages. The stories we choose to interact with are short (and can be followed up on via social media, etc.), easily accessible, convenient, and most importantly, evoke some sort of emotion. We all work hard every day to provide for ourselves and for our families, and the last thing we want to do is put in effort to hear your story. Good marketing tells a story that catches the attention of viewers and compels them to listen.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a good example of how an organization can tell a story to motivate consumers to act in a certain way. I’m sure you’ve seen the ASPCA’s commercial that exploits abused animals to the tune of Sarah McLachlan’s “Arms of An Angel.” The commercial tells a story: animals that have been abused and neglected are rescued by the ASPCA, nurtured back to health, and go on to live happy, healthy lives. It’s heartbreaking to watch, but seeing the animals receive a second chance at life overwhelms the viewer with relief and even joy. The commercial asks the viewer to donate to help save these animals, and it’s hard not to do so after making a connection with the content. Since the commercial aired in 2008, the ASPCA has raised well over a $100 million in donations.
At Transformation Marketing, we’re not only marketers, we’re storytellers. Our team knows how to captivate your audience in a way that resonates with them. Give us a call for a good laugh or cry and a successful marketing campaign!