Storytelling

The art of storytelling is a classic way to create an emotional connection with your customers. Today, we’re going to explain some facts on why storytelling is important to a brand’s communication strategy.

There is nothing more powerful than a good story. It engages, motivates and drives us to action. A well-told story connects with our deepest feelings and makes us identify with that particular story.

Brands are no strangers to stories and anecdotes that make us fall in love with them as they aim to create a community around their purpose.

If you own a fashion brand and want to tell a story about it, read on to learn some basic steps in creating a brand story.

Every good story starts with one key ingredient: honesty. In order to tell your story, it's important to understand who you are as a brand and what you stand for. In other words, you must have a clearly defined brand identity.

Brand identity is the system of values ​​and principles by which a brand moves, communicates and promotes. If we lack a clear identity, our stories are not authentic, and authenticity is key to connecting with customers.

Storytelling is a branding tool that addresses emotions, stories, myths and legends etched in our minds. Storytelling awakens our memories and presents the ultimate brand story in a recognizable narrative that people can relate to.

Brands with a strong brand history are more likely to grow their communities. First, they focus on emotion and storytelling, not just their product. Second, honest stories can convince communities and turn them into prescribers. Remember, a brand is nothing without customers.

Well-crafted storytelling techniques can help a brand tell not only its origins, but also its achievements, milestones, dates and motivations.

A playful story humanizes a brand and connects its values ​​to the moment, whether it's a global issue or a social concern. Many consumers today are looking for brands that are committed to fair business practices while improving the lives of their customers.

Storytelling can make your brand memorable. Dates are often forgotten, stories are not. Combine storytelling with brand voice, and you'll have consistent and repeated stories across your brand's different communication channels.

How to Get Started

The brand story is a fundamental narrative axis that needs to be present in all your communications. According to Stern in Authenticity and Textual Roles: Postmodern Paradoxes in Advertising Narrative, there are three starting point elements of a story: chronology, causality, and character development.

The chronology sets the rhythm of the story as a beginning, middle, climax, and end. Causation emphasizes the relationship between actions, such as the decisions a character makes to achieve a goal or solve a problem that leads to an outcome. Character development reveals the protagonist's spirit; what he or she wants and what his or her inner motivations are.

1. Outline the protagonist's journey and character

A brand story must have a protagonist or tell a meaningful event. We can enrich our stories by tapping into the universal archetypes that exist in all stories, be it hero, clown, savior, genius, or saint, to name a few. Archetypes are flexible and guide us in building a real story worthy of our brand. Storytelling gives its protagonists a unique personality.

Conversely, supporting a collective without a protagonist does not prevent a strong and believable brand story.

In this context, it is worth highlighting the Group's milestones and challenges, as well as the path to achieving them.

2. Make sure you have the key elements of a great brand story

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, authenticity is essential when writing or telling your brand story. You need to communicate to your clients that they believe in your story and connect it to their reality.

Conciseness is essential when creating a story; presenting it clearly and concisely while covering all the points to understand it holistically.

Create a reversal, climax or turning point. Unleash the action or increase the emotional level with a surprising twist. This narrative best illustrates the journey or motivation.

With a touch of humor, your story doesn't have to be a comedy, but we all gravitate toward a sense of humor. You can introduce jokes and use some puns to get a positive reaction from your customers.

Storytelling has been shown to help create positive brand associations and strengthen brand equity in the long run.

When you create your brand story from authentic attributes that encompass your core brand values, you are sure to stand out from other competitors who use traditional and static forms of marketing and communications.

In addition, storytelling can boost emotional brand loyalty and positively influence brand attitudes and customer purchase intentions. There is no doubt that storytelling can help your brand grow in this way.