The Importance of Storytelling to Build a Reputable Brand

For a brand, the necessity for it to connect to its audience is very essential. With the changing marketing dynamics, consumer behavior, and increasing competition, it becomes important for the brand to experiment a lot with its messaging. One solution, that the brand can utilize the most, to tackle all these problems is storytelling. A successful brand is built on creative storytelling. Most of the time, brands are remembered because of the story it conveys. In the current unstable market, storytelling acts as a concrete way to stand strongly among competitors.  With audiences being more diverse, storytelling pulls the target audience more easily, creating easier access to the target audience.  

The brand storytelling with its creative narration will build a brand image with the audience. This in return will build a meaningful connection with the consumers, earning brand loyalty and increasing the consumer base. Brand storytelling will facilitate an easier shapeshift into the current market trends. Therefore, brand storytelling becomes the major catalyst for good brand performance in an evolving market.  

How Storytelling Turns Products into Brands?  

Storytelling has always been one of the fundamental building blocks of human civilization. The world and the concept surrounding it, are all built on the narration. It’s important for a brand storyteller to understand this notion. The brand defines the value that consumers will be ready to pay for the product. This value is built by creating a story around a product. Therefore, to create an engaging brand story, one needs to have a better understanding of the brand itself. The failure to understand the brand and build a suitable brand narrative can lessen the brand value.  

Imagine selling a pen by just explaining its qualities to consumers. Many would try to give a lesser price or go to other brand's products, as there are many brands which are at par with the same quality and the price ratio. But if the same pen is sold by saying it was used by Neil Armstrong to actually write on the moon, many would pay a high price, just so they can have it, irrespective of the qualities it offers. So to say, the narrative builds the brand's connectivity and engagement with the audience. With brand storytelling, your products are made interesting, relevant and exciting for people to use.  

Unique Storytelling Proposition for difference  

When we hear the word USP, many times ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ pops into our head. This is outdated in the current market. There was a time when people used to care about the functions a product can do. But now they don’t care about such functions but instead get attracted to stories that can connect them to the brand. Hence, brands should nurture such stories which can create a difference for them.    

Look at the advertisements for cars in India for example. They don’t go on about the car features that they are going to offer. But, instead, they narrate a story that conveys how the car has helped in family bonding or kindling a certain kind of lifestyle imagery, with which the audience can build an emotional connection with the product.  This makes the consumers identify with the brand, making the bond between the consumers and the brand stronger.  

Embracing Empathy and Insights in Brand storytelling   

One thing that we always need to remember when creating a brand story is that you need to have the attention of the consumer through your brand story. Consumers would be busy seeking entertainment, information or enjoying something. But the advertisement should get the attention of the consumer. While the product usage might be boring, the brand story need not be.  It can be entertaining, informative, creative, unique and strong enough to catch the attention of your audience. This is possible only when a brand has understood its consumers. Every product is manufactured to solve a problem. The brand story should give the message of a problem that is being solved by using a particular product.  

For instance, this has been executed amazingly by Axe deodorant.  Before Axe, many other deodorants used to advertise with functionalities. But Axe changed the game, by creating a larger narrative for their Axe deodorant. With their concept set in the context of the ‘dating game’ constantly ongoing, the brand was able to connect to a larger audience. The story of the ad being, that Axe makes even shy men so irresistible that women actually make the first move. Here Axe tried to see the product from the perspective of the consumer with empathy and built the story on their insight. This can happen only when the brand focuses on empathy and insight.  

Going against the trend by creating a unique story  

The changing market dynamic will pose a threat to the stable brand position. In such a market, most of the brand focuses on following the trend, to have a position in the market. Such practices will place obstacles for consumer and brand connection. To stand out in today’s changing market dynamics, a brand has to create a difference by strategically going against the trend. Instead of following the crowd, it should forge its own path in terms of strategic storytelling.  

Brands like Saregama and Paper Boat have been doing it for many years. While other brands run after the ‘new and improved’, Paper Boat and Saregama are connecting with their consumers by celebrating nostalgia. This takes the consumers to their childhood days, recalling those memories and leading to connecting to the brand, at a far more visceral and emotional level.  

Keys to be a good storyteller   

A storyteller must be proficient in knowing their culture, history and surroundings. They must involve themselves in extensive reading. Themore they read, the more the ‘reservoir of inspiration’ they can borrow from. The second key is to interact with life, the environment and the experience that comes with it. For a storyteller, observing, analyzing and interacting with the surroundings is important. The more experiences one has, the more creative thestories can be. If one wants to explore different narratives, then they must start by asking questions. More questions are asked; more perspectives are known and can be told. Questions open the doors to more exciting explorations, and along the way, more incisive and effective brand stories.  

Wrap Up 

Storytelling is the major building block in brand building. To sustain brand fortunes in today’s volatile market, one must create an inspiring narrative around their products and brands through storytelling, fostering enhanced connections with their consumers. Through storytelling, a brand can create a unique and differentiated image and protect itself against changing market dynamics.  

About Author   

Vinay Kanchan has more than 2 decades of experience as an author, brand storyteller and creative thinking trainer. His first book ‘Madness starts at 9’ won the hearts of the readers and became a bestseller. His second book ‘Lessons from the Playground’ which teaches about management, thinking, creativity and leadership through different sports, is helping many business students across the world. At present Kanchan has written his third book ‘The Legend of Break-up Bhavani', is a combined universe of Indian mythology and concept of superhero's. This book is wining the heart of Critics because of its unique storyline. Kanchan has served in top roles in advertising agencies like Lintas, Mudra and Rediffusion. With his ‘Cracking the Da Vinci’ programs, Kanchan has been guiding business professionals on tackling business problems with imagination and creativity. With his ability to solve complex problems with ‘out of the box’ and storytelling perspectives, Kanchan has rendered his services to some the industry's top organizations with brand strategy, brand storytelling and creative thinking training as his offerings.