4. The best brands are built on great stories.“
—Ian Rowden, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Group
You have to think of
your brand as a kind
of myth. A myth is a
compelling story. It
has to have emotional
content and all the
themes of a great
story: mystery, magic,
adventure, intrigue,
conflicts,
contradiction,
paradox.
Deepak Chopra
Storytelling is special because it shares
an experience with your audience. You
can inject your story -- and in turn, your
audience -- with emotions and compelling
imagery that enables them to connect to
you much better.
“Before paper, ink, or
tablet, we only had
words. The words and
stories we paid
attention to had to have
meaning for us, or they
didn’t get passed on.
We gathered around
campfires to listen, we
sat around tables
talking and drinking
tea, or got comfortable
with a book on our
mother’s lap. The
medium didn’t matter;
what mattered was the
connection.”
Bernadette Jiwa,
courtesy of Dan
5. Good stories are easy to understand. And
Simplicity aides memorability
The more passionate the storyteller is, the more
authentic they stay and the more compelling their
story becomes
If every story were simply facts - most of us
wouldn't listen or remember any of it
An effective story retains an element that relates
directly to the teller, told in the teller's own words
Regardless of the audience size, a good story works
for any audience. One to one-million. It isn't concerned
with how many people can hear it, just that someone,
somewhere is listening to it
The components for a good story
Emotional
Passion
Simple
Real
Valid
6. Honest & authentic:
The brand message is the most important point in
storytelling. It has to be credible and personify the
philosophy and values of your brand. Without honesty and
authenticity, even the best stories will turn people away.
Has personality:
Your brand has to communicate passion, fun or gravity;
you’re not talking about an ordinary product or service. It is
something special.
Marketing tactics:
When your story is really good, people will want more. This is
the perfect time to use every marketing channel you have to
spread your brand’s values featuring YOUR amazing story.
And this worked as a brand story..
8. Visit the CharityComms website to
view slides from past events, see what
events we have coming up and to
check out what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk
