The Art of Storytelling in Modern Marketing (1)

The Art of Storytelling in Modern Marketing

One of the most important elements of good writing is showing, not telling. True writers achieve depth and meaning by engaging their readers' minds through stories and symbolism, not by telling their audience what to believe or think.

Marketers should follow the same principles of great film directors and writers: appealing to emotion and following a story arc are more important than ever to capitalize on customer engagement. 

The only rule marketers must adhere to when attempting to succeed at customer engagement is to fully understand their customer base and get the tone of the messaging/engagement right to avoid committing faux pas - or worse. Two examples of failed customer engagement are Pepsi's vapid "Live for Now Moments" ad and Heineken's "Lighter is Better" ad. Pepsi undermined the importance of protesting with the wrong product placement. Heineken's once positive association with diversity was shattered with the release of the Lighter is Better ad. 

The content of the message matters more than the product marketers are selling, and can have a great impact on customers' willingness to engage further, in turn boosting their brand loyalty. "Most speakers at marketing conferences tell stories of successful campaigns in data points rather than plot points. When the campaign bottoms out, the website gets no hits or the speaker puts the audience to sleep, McKee says, the storyteller blames the story (AMA)." Like a powerful poem, the message can still be short or even simple but must seem genuine and relatable to leave an impression, thus inspiring viewers/readers to share or engage with the post.

In a world where industry-wide pay gaps impact salaries of all scales, Kardashian's status as an entrepreneurial powerhouse is remarkable--whatever you think of her selfies. (Forbes 2)

There are many ways to go beyond the typical advertisement profile and engage with customers. Kim Kardashian is arguably one of the best at customer engagement, and has made her engaging online presence into a full-time job. She recently departed from her normal channels like Twitter and Instagram to create a wildly successful video game that allows users to "create their own celebrity" from their phones. In a world where industry-wide pay gaps impact salaries of all scales, Kardashian's status as an entrepreneurial powerhouse is remarkable--whatever you think of her selfies (Forbes 2).

So consider [the filmmaker's] approach as well to engaging your customers: plotting out the time customers will spend with your company in cinematic terms and bringing that impression, engagingly, to life. (Forbes)

Read More Here & Here: 

https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/art-narrative-arc-why-marketers-must-learn-storytellers.aspx
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2015/12/24/customer-engagement-is-everything/#