Colin Mason B.Sc.,CMO, Practice Partner, Marketing
When given the opportunity and the soapbox, most of us become quite proficient at relating the facts, features and benefits of our products and services. However, those who can weave a good narrative around those elements of brand promotion are the ones who are most likely to succeed in selling their wares in a competitive marketplace.
Storytelling, suddenly rediscovered by those who create content for digital and social media platforms, has always been the ‘secret sauce’ used by the creative types in marketing departments and ad agencies to transform and communicate information that can often be quite mundane or even boring.
Which of us has not recently seen on TV, and fondly remembered, Amazon’s portrayal of an injured and blue-splinted dog, unable to move swiftly or keep up with his canine friends as they dash by him; only to be liberated by a sympathetic young man, using a child carrier (purchased from Amazon) to happily transport the dog around. No script is necessary, the images and the accompanying music carry the compelling storyline.
The value of integrating story-telling into our marketing content is found in the fact that our brains do a much better job of remembering when we make an emotional connection to the narrative.
This persuasive force of stories has been well documented. Studies have shown that highly engaging stories which contain key elements, including a climax and completion, can elicit powerful empathic responses by triggering the release of oxytocin. Often referred to as the "trust hormone," this neurochemical promotes connection and encourages people to feel empathy.
When released in the brain of your prospect it can help to build trust in your brand or product, and in doing so increase sales.
As humans, we’ve been sharing stories since before we had written language. There’s been a historical, compelling reason to keep doing it… because it works! Here’s the brass ring: find your story. Write it. Hone it to perfection by rewriting it. Run it by a friend. Now, commit it to memory. Connect it to your product or service and make it personal, not contrived. Then tell it. And see what a difference it makes.
About the Author: Colin Mason
Colin has over thirty-five years of experience in the marketing sector with expertise in sales, advertising, and promotion. In that time he has managed the marketing for clients such as Trade Centre Limited (TCL), Enterprise Cape Breton, the NS Provincial (Signature) Resorts, Nova Scotia Power, The Nova Scotia Museums, Canada Bread, Amos Pewter, Golf Nova Scotia, Glen Arbour Golf Course, Greater Homes, and numerous other retail and service industry clients.