All Good Marketing
Tells a Story – Part 1 (of 3)
By Kyle O'Brien
The phrase “every person has a
story” applies equally to business. Every company, business and corporation
started somewhere, and their stories – their origin and history, the passion and
motivation of the people involved, and the reason for their continued success –
beg to be told. Each business is unique, and whether it’s a century-old corporation
or a year-new upstart, it has a tale to tell.
The problem some companies have is
that they haven’t yet told their story, perhaps because they don’t see it as
important, or they don’t know how to put what they are all about into words and
images that fit today’s methods of communication. To consumers, yours is just
another business trying to get their money. Creating the “why” of the business,
the unique selling or marketing proposition, then getting that proposition
heard is what leads someone to buy. It makes them care.
Businesses need marketing in some
form to help them tell their tales. Successful companies bond
emotionally with their customer base. This dramatically increases their chances
for brand loyalty and for long-term success, and that happens when they hone
their ability to tell meaningful stories about their businesses.
From Retailer To Storyteller
An example I was proud to be
involved with was a radio-based campaign for a local outdoor goods retailer in
Portland, Oregon. The store was already popular, and the two owners had their names
and faces on the side of the building and in their printed and online sale ads.
Their business appealed to the independent and outdoor-minded people of the
city, but they hadn’t really reached beyond their core customer base, and they
had never really told the story of why they originally got into the outdoor
retail business.
After sitting down with the two in
a meeting, I found they were natural storytellers, and funny as heck to boot.
So, I put them in front of the microphones at our radio studios, asked them
questions and just let them go for over an hour. What came out of it was a
wealth of engaging stories – they were friends since boyhood and had numerous,
and often hilarious, outdoor adventures growing up, ranging from comically
overturned kayaks to epic motocross trips – which we edited into 60-second
commercials that aired on the indie rock station. The campaign, which also
included banners and streaming ads on the radio station’s website, not only helped
tell their unique story but also entertained in the process. The campaign
continued for a year, kept fresh by rotating in new stories every other month,
and it led to a widening of the store’s customer base with an increase in brand
recognition, and ultimately sales. Letting the public into the owners’ personal
world through smart storytelling helped bring them closer to their customers,
which broadened their appeal and cemented brand loyalty. The listeners of the
radio station felt they were learning intimate details about a local business
rather than being sold to, which empowered them to shop at the store with
confidence.
When stories like these are told,
businesses and marketers win. But businesses need to open themselves up to the
storytelling process. They have to understand that people want to know more
about them and that this sort of transparency and detail can lead to greater
brand loyalty.
See the next chapter of this blog
for more about telling stories that make a deeper connection and how to create
your story in elevator pitch form.
Visit www.marketingpartners.com.
