What is storytelling?
Storytelling is a persuasive technique used by companies in their explicit and non-explicit advertising. It is a way of telling stories in such an engaging manner as to keep eyes and ears glued to the screen. It is magic known since childhood that does not lose its charm in adult life. Television series, films, books, and audiobooks are the proof of it.
How can companies benefit from storytelling?
Storytelling is the art of engaging people emotionally. The identification with one of the characters rather than the inspiration from the story brings the reader or listener closer to the business’s problems, adventures, and goals of the company. These contain a set of values and emotions for the customer who develops an affection for the brand. This way, purchase is revolutionized. It is no longer the search for the best price and quality but becomes an identification with the brand’s story and ultimately with the brand itself.
The advantages
1) The main advantage is the emotional bond that customer develops towards the company thanks to engaging, powerful, and memorable storytelling. Customers are converted into much more than just buyers. They also become part of the story of the brand through the purchase.
2) Stories have another power: they show the human side of the brand. Although the brand may seem a dehumanized entity, logo, colors, and communication constitute the identity of the brand. Human beings connect with other beings similar in character, style, and identity. Which better way to show the brand’s identity if not through storytelling?
3) Last but not least, memory. Some promotional messages tell such an engaging story that it is impossible to forget. Here is where storytelling strikes again, and this time aims the memory. Thanks to storytelling people remember the brand more easily.
Is storytelling fit for any type of brand?
Storytelling can be used for everything, even for a printer. How? Let’s find out how Hp has managed to transform the printer from a simple tool for photocopies to an essential element for the protection of a company.
A hacker sneaks into a leading financial business printer operating system. He distracts the workers and steals all the data he is interested in. He discovers that one of the colleagues is turning the age and sends her a promotional email containing a voucher for a spa. She hesitates before printing the email, but it’s her birthday. Why wouldn’t she deserve a wonderfully relaxing treatment? She clicks ENTER and, without knowing, starts a time bomb. In a few hours, the hacker accesses every company computer. He silently pulls out personal, business, and customer data. So, the company loses the most important thing: data. The hacker works peacefully. No one sees him. No one hears him. Nobody blocks him. Not even the antivirus system the company had spent a fortune on. And here’s the catch. The system is useless if the devices are weak. If only they had used Hp devices. If only they had opted for a Hp printer that blocks any unauthorized external user. If only… Well now, the data is lost.
Are you checking the brand of your office printer, too? I suggest you check out the video by Hp that tells the story described in a short video with all the features of the perfect storytelling.
Storytelling is a powerful communicative weapon for both B2B and B2C activities. At the same time, the art of telling engaging and successful stories is a real job. Are you curious about how successful storytelling works? Don’t miss the next article!
If you also want to strengthen your communication with storytelling, contact Mark it and tell us your story. We will be happy to be part of it!
