In a world saturated with advertising, brands must constantly evolve to capture the attention of users in an efficient way. The most extravagant and flashy ads have lost effectiveness over time; today, to generate a real impact on the consumer, it is essential to have a solid and authentic storytelling.
What is storytelling?
Its literal translation is ‘storytelling’ and, indeed, that is what this advertising technique is all about. Consumers are looking for differentiating stories that make an impact on them and with which they can empathise. This technique is not new, but has been used for many years to differentiate brands from the competition and give them a personality of their own.
In order to develop an advertising strategy based on storytelling, we must know that these stories do not have to be strictly real; we can also work with fictional stories that achieve a narrative and a suitable tone to reach the consumer. What is important is consistency in the story and with the brand, as the story and the way it is told must be in line with the brand philosophy and act as a complement.
If we ask ourselves when this technique of storytelling to connect arose, we have to go back many centuries. Traditionally, tales and stories were the most widely used means of conveying information and knowledge. Because it is a technique that has been used for so long and with which we are very familiar, the connections we make when we are confronted with such a campaign are stronger.
What should I know before preparing a storytelling?
As in any marketing strategy, before starting to prepare a storytelling it is necessary to have some clear parameters, since what we are looking for is that our audience, our target audience, feels identified or can empathise with what we are telling.
The first thing is to know who we are targeting: What do they like? How do they behave? What media do they usually consume? These are some of the questions we have to ask ourselves before starting the creative process. Looking for these common links between the brand and the target audience is the first step to find a thread to pull from when writing our story.
The next question is: What do we want to convey? Before creating a story for our brand, we must identify our final objective, as it is not the same to seek brand recognition as it is to promote a product or a new launch. Answering this question will help us to know what has to be the central axis of our storytelling.
Finally, we must be clear that within this story it is not necessarily necessary for our brand or product to be present at all times; it may be more effective if it only appears at the end or even if it does not appear explicitly.
A good example is the famous BMW advert ‘You like to drive’, the brand presence is really anecdotal, but visually it shows us a story that consumers have identified with and that has generated a memory for several generations.
How to build a story that works?
Every story has to be clear, our audience has to be able to understand it from the first moment. It is highly recommended to use simple and concise language, and it usually works very well to work in a friendly tone, which helps to connect more with the audience.
One of the keys to capturing the user’s attention is the creation of a main character with whom they can identify. Another issue is to appeal to emotions. Emotions make a story memorable. Whether it is happiness, nostalgia, fear or inspiration, choosing the right emotion can make all the difference in the audience’s response.
Creating a powerful story begins with a deep understanding of our audience and our product or service, as this lays the foundation for any successful campaign. Ready to build a strategy based on storytelling that really connects?
