How the Brain Naturally Processes Storytelling in Marketing
And How We Make People, Products & Brands the Hero of Your Story
Storytelling has been with humankind since the earliest of days. Not much of that original value of storytelling to gather and share experiences has changed. Through storytelling, we make sense of the world; it helps us organize and remember places, events, people, objects and ideas.
The same principle translates to marketing – most memorable brands tell a compelling story that we listen to and internalize. Our brains are hard-wired to understand emotion, which only a good story evokes. Successful brands use this powerful insight in their numerous campaigns to connect with us.
Great Marketing Starts with (some) Science
To distill the qualities and importance of good storytelling, we’ll present scientific evidence of how the brain processes stories, the structural components of stories, and the benefits brands experience through storytelling.
1. Science has helped us understand how our brains work, and particularly revealing is how our brain reacts to storytelling. This valuable insight shows us that when we read a story, not only do the language parts of our brains light up, but the parts of the brain that process experience become activated as well. In our brain, a good story equals experience, and experience is what we remember.
How that translates to marketing: We exceedingly equip Client brands to be noticeable and memorable if we share our story with the world. Successful brands harness this opportunity through content marketing that focuses on the continual evolution of their story.
We, at LDG, propel your brand forward through campaigns that tell the world the story of your brand or product. We make you stand out from the competition through a constantly evolving brand tale.
Where Art Meets Science
While science helps us understand how our brains relate to stories and experiences, the art form of literature helps us understand how to structure a good story. The necessary components are a plot, settings, characters, and narrative point of view.
In the book Storyscaping, seven basic plots have been distinguished through the work of British journalist and author Christopher Booker. These are the following:
1. overcoming the monster
2. rags to riches
3. the quest
4. voyage and return
5. rebirth
6. comedy
7. tragedy
Any of these plots can be used as the basis for your marketing, although some have proven to be more effective for creating brand-consumer relations. The Journey plot lends itself in this category due to the shared values the hero and the audience have, and thus the ability of the audience to re-imagine itself as the hero.
Brands who create immersive and memorable experiences for their audience let the audience be the hero. One such example, cited in the book Storyscaping, is TOMS. TOMS empowers its customers to make a difference by the buying choice they make – for every pair sold, TOMS gives a pair for free. That gives its customers the ability to be in control to help someone in need.
Connect More, Sell More: The DNA of Strong Marketing
There are certain benefits for brands who utilize storytelling as part of their overall marketing strategy – conveying your personality, placing you as a leader, and helping you connect emotionally with your customer base.
Storytelling conveys a brand’s personality. Through the narrative point of view, or tone, your brand sets expectations for its behavior and course of action, and it also sets itself apart from the rest. This differentiating factor is what creates the memorable experience with your brand.
Another benefit of a good storytelling is that it places your brand as the leader in its industry. A Jeep U.K. manager points out “Storytelling in the automotive industry has been key in marketing campaigns, especially since the advent of social media. This can be something metaphoric, yet simple, like a journey, with use of roles and a plot for the more adventurous.”
Storytelling also humanizes your brand. It makes it one with the audience. That sense of belonging fires your customers’ loyalty up. The more genuine, honest and real your brand is, the more people respond to it. Values such as transparency and honesty build trust, and trust propels businesses forward.
Let LDG build your brand through storytelling campaigns. Let us show your brand’s personality and place it in a leading industry position. Let us work your brand into the minds and hearts of your customers. Let us make you memorable.
Sources:
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/11/brand-storytelling-words-design-matter
Storyscaping – Stop Creating Ads, Start Creating Worlds by Gaston Legorburu & Darren McColl
