At this same moment I am sitting in the train wondering why everybody is so into their 20 Minuten magazine. What is it that makes it so popular? It cannot be the thoroughly researched and carefully composed articles (right). No, it's because this magazine is telling us stories, rather than just throwing facts at us. It is somewhat tacky, yes, but it is also entertaining to a certain extent, I have to admit.
So is that what storytelling is all about then? Entertainment? I believe a large piece of it is exactly that. But by far not everything. A simple little story can be entertaining for the time you read it. 5 minutes later you will have forgotten about it again, well at least I would. So the greatest challenge for people writing marketing-stories is to use the history of the company as a plot and wrap it in shiny glittery paper to make it desirable - desirable to read, to remember and to talk about it. The word of a good story will spread like a wildfire in California during mid August.
What other aspects might be behind the success of storytelling in marketing? I believe to have found one. Don't we like to identify ourselves with the charachters of movies we watch or books we read? Well, what happens then if we identify ourselves with the life story of a CEO, or even with the company itself if we consider it as a character? We build up an emotional relationship with the person or brand. That my friends is the highest art in marketing. Have your customer identify him- or herself with your company and he or she will be a loyal customer for all times. I think this is the essence of storytelling and the reason for actually investing all those resources in getting a good story out there.
Cheers P
