How to captivate audiences with the art of storytelling, and grow your business.

Storytelling has been intertwined in our lives ever since the beginning of human race.

Through fables to books, music and films; is proven to be an effective learning and communication process to pass memorable stories from generations to generations.

Ways of telling stories through the combination of visuals and words such us depictions on walls in caves and in murals in ancient cities across the world, have been recorded hundred of years before Christ. 

But why is storytelling important to branding?

We, humans, make decisions first based on emotions rather than rationalization, according to research in psychology. 

Maya Angelou, an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist once said: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

By using a simple and very effective approach: “don’t tell me, show me" and pairing it with a relevant and remarkable message, marketers and advertisers have been able to successfully reel in people to brands. Triggering profound emotions, making them want to be part of a brand’s movement, and motivating them to amplify brands messages.

In 1863 Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright, developed a framework used in storytelling, nowadays known as “Freytag’s pyramid.” It consists of five parts to develop a plot of a story, as shown on graphic below.

Another framework commonly use in communications like emails and letters,— sometimes without even noticing— is as simple as structuring the message with a beginning, a middle and an end.  

So where to begin? And how to connect the dots between these frameworks to amplify your brand voice via storytelling?

The starting point is defining your brand purpose and identity by answering why your brand or business exists, what it brings to people’s lives, and how you want your brand to come across (aka tone of brand voice in marketing). Write down succinct and actionable statements that your internal and external teams can easily understand and remember.

In every communication process, there are two-ends. Now that you have structured your own position, is critical to define who do you want to talk to. 

By getting to know those folks, understanding what is important to them, what their pains and passions are, you will be able to position your brand in ways to heighten consumers’ highs or solve their lows and ultimately become meaningful and loved. 

With the north-star set for your brand communications, finding inspiration and story ideas becomes easier. Your team and you should also clearly define what you are trying to achieve from both the business and brand standpoint. In other words, what your goals are.

Think about the film industry when communicating your story. Try the analogy of launching your brand campaign as a movie. 

There is a strong script, which is converted into sneaks or trailers. The film is announced, creating “awareness”. Then selected people become “ambassadors” talking about the story and creating “buzz”. The “actors” only tap into small moments creating anticipation.

Let’s see some examples.

With the brand statement “we are bananas,” Chiquita says it wants to bring a burst of fun and goodness to people’s lives. 

In 2017, the brand created the Chiquita Banana Sun Cometh hijacking the solar eclipse. Chiquita moved the moon in between the earth and the sun before and after the total solar eclipse creating an enormous banana in the sky.  

The brand revealed the story across communication channels where its consumers are, which created awareness and buzz not only with fans but also with the media.

In this example by General Electric, the story originated within the company’s engineers. 

And here is another story by Nature Valley inspired by consumers’ moments and passions.

What do you think about each one of these examples? Did you notice a beginning, middle and end in the way each brand told its story? What are your thoughts about the source of the ideas?

I am believer, that in the digital era we live, brands and businesses of all sizes can create breakthrough communications to ultimate grow sales. 

The key to being talked about is being authentic and relevant. The key to being relevant is knowing what the people you want to talk to want, and where to meet them. 

With a combination of empathy with your target, boldness, and thinking out of the box, brands can create and tell motivating, engaging, memorable stories that people will love. Bearing in mind that in storytelling what really counts is that actions speak louder than words. 

About the author:

Carolina Villarreal is a global marketer and business strategist, FMGC+Retail expert, and founder of Voz Growth. Follow Carolina on LinkedIn and on X (former Twitter).