The importance of storytelling in business
Is your brand's story an important part of your marcomms?
T
oday marks the start of National Tell a Story month, so we thought it was the perfect time to talk about storytelling in business.
In recent years, honest and ethical marketing has become more important than ever in a business’ profile and, ultimately, success.
Customers can see through exaggerations and false claims and they simply want brands to be honest and upfront with them. Some companies even upgrade their products so they have a stronger, genuine marketing message. Social media has accelerated all of this as businesses now have nowhere to hide and are on the front line when it comes to answering customer’s questions and complaints directly and in public.
"And do you know what is the most-often missing ingredient in a sales message? It’s the sales message that doesn’t tell an interesting story. Storytelling . . . good storytelling . . . is a vital component of a marketing campaign."
Gary Halbert | author, marketing practitioner, copywriter
Customers want to see the face behind the brand. They want to understand the journey that has been taken to get to where a company is now; the fails, the success – and everything in between.
Remember though, authenticity is absolutely key and that is why it is the perfect time for smaller businesses with passionate back stories to shine.
"In recent years, honest and ethical marketing has become more important than ever in a business’ profile and, ultimately, success."
Gone are the days of strict rationality and bravado that existed in the Mad Men era and we are moving forward into a space where emotional intelligence is a highly regarded skill in leaders and mental wellbeing in the workplace is taken seriously.
Each week there are articles published around how Wall Street traders use their ‘gut feeling’ for their best deals and how start-ups can accelerate into the known spectrum with no advertising spend, just their story!
Why tell a story?
- It builds an emotive connection between the brand and the customer - It can provide opportunities of USPs - It builds trust with current and potential customers - It makes you human in an age where automation and robots is more of a reality with each day - It helps you have a strong foundation for your brand messaging, outlook, mission and goals.
Need inspiration? Here are some brands who feature a story section on their websites;
Tinker Gin Virgin The Cambridge Satchel Company
And try and catch Top Of The Shop with Tom Kerridge on the BBC at the moment. The consistent advice that the experts give? It’s all about telling your story to boost your sales – and it works!
This year Happy is celebrating 13 years as a creative agency by looking at all things 2005 and having some fun with what we find. It is our story. It is who we are, it is where we came from, it is how have evolved.
Watch out for some vintage fun in the coming weeks, and in the meantime if you think storytelling would strengthen your brand, but you are unsure where to start, get in touch and we can have a chat!
