The changing dynamics in the attention economy has led to the resurgence of storytelling in the past few years. Today, consumers have more control over what they want to see, hear, and experience, thus brands have to work harder to engage their audience. Good stories have always been effective in keeping people interested.
Joe Lazouskas, who is a marketing and technology journalist and author says the following…
Why stories work?
Narrative is one of the basic organizing principles of memory. Every narrative fires up specific neurons and wires them together to create a relevant association in the brain.
Joe Lazouskas continues to talk further…
What makes a story good?
A good story should have a beginning, middle, and end, with relatable characters having a change of fortune. Your story must be relatable, novel, and fluent with some tension.
Joe Lazouskas speaks at length about creating a compelling story…
Developing a brand story
Brands are built on stories. Compelling stories. A good product will give you customers. A good product coupled with an engaging brand story will give you fans! Though it is hard to define a true raving fan, we all know that we want one.
A brand story is more than an attractive billboard with a catchy tagline. A brand story ideally conveys values and purpose which the audience can relate to. It has an immersive narrative which keeps the audience interested throughout.
Brands do not behave like commodities. They have an identity and a persona. That makes them relatable. They are not easily replaceable. People want to associate themselves with brands, not with commodities. Would you like to be associated with a commodity like shoes or a brand like Nike?
Here is an example, in 1985, Michael Jordan’s first year in the NBA, he really wanted Converse to sign him, since he always played in them, but companies like Converse and Adidas did not think that their target market would relate to a seven-foot tall guy.
Nike was keen on signing Michael, but he was hesitant. He never liked their shoes. He thought their soles were too thick. To convince him Nike offered him his signature shoe and a clothing line. Michael reluctantly agreed, not before asking Nike to reduce the thickness of the sole of his signature shoe. Thus, the Air Jordan 1 was born.
The story goes, Michael Jordan was fined $5000 per game by the NBA as the black and red, “bred” Air Jordan 1 violated the league uniform code. Nike capitalized on this, and created the famous TV commercial which pitched Air Jordan 1 as the shoe “banned by the NBA”. The rest is history.
Nike made $130 million selling Air Jordans in 1985!
The “banned” story wasn’t true. Michael never had to pay the fine. Moreover he never wore Jordans during the league matches that year! He wore Nike Air Ship which looked similar to the Jordans.
Always remember, stories rely on relevance and coherence rather than accuracy.
At Tech Demand, we help you in creating a brand that your target audience can relate to. Fill out our campaign builder now and together we will develop and market the right story for your brand.
For compelling narratives that lead to an impactful brand, choose Tech Demand.
