Business storytelling – a phrase that has managed to leave many confused. How can a technical and tactical thing like business be combined with a creative concept such as storytelling? This very paradoxical nature of both concepts is actually the beauty and strength of business storytelling.
In simple terms, business storytelling is the combination of business data points and insights with creative storytelling. So, if data suggests that as a brand you need to create awareness around your affordable prices – you weave that fact into a story that your end audience can consume.
A great example of business storytelling has been the globally famous campaign by Google, titled Reunion, released for the Indian market. A story of friends who were separated during the partition, the campaign not only narrated a moving story but also weaved in various Google features that they knew needed to be popularized.
But, before you dive into business storytelling techniques it’s important to understand why this concept is integral to your brand, product, and service.
Importance of Business Storytelling
There are various factors that contribute to the success of business storytelling as a marketing and communication tactic.
Appeals To The youth
A recent study found that the younger generations tend to find full stops intimidating. This generation functions on their own set of norms and unsaid rules. The younger demographic is also known to be active users of ad blockers. Communicating with this generation through cookie-cutter formats might not bring you optimal results.
Rising Above The Clutter
The number of ads, mailers, posts, et al going out each day is massive. How does your brand stand out amidst this massive influx of information? In a time when information is abundant, attention becomes expensive. Further, consumers too are tired of being sold to. They can see through the gimmicks and keywords and tend to ignore repetitive ads. Storytelling can give brands a creative edge in such a situation.
Creating Immersive Conversations
The post-pandemic consumer is much more aware – they differentiate between essential and non-essential and prefer to be a part of the larger conversation. It is not a product that they purchase, it is the experience – they’re invested in brands and products they resonate with. Brands that truly listen to what they have to say and create a two-way conversation.
Business storytelling enables brands to create immersive and engaging conversations – ones that help the consumers understand where the brands come from and what it stands for. Data driven storytelling can take consumers on a journey – one that catalyses the end business goal.
Business Storytelling Tips
When brands and organizations take a structured approach, it get easy to marry stories with data and create communication that narrates a tale. Here are a few tips to begin with:
Don’t discount data
A piece of communication, be it created from a point of view solving a problem faced by society or creating affinity for your brand or simply engaging with your audience – the data insight is what helps you define the objective. Data-driven objectives, help create stories that not only entertain but also offer a solution. Effective business storytelling lies on the back of strong data insights combined with creative thinking.
Create characters & characteristics
It is important that your brand story has consistent characters who the audience can resonate with. It could be your brand mascot or your employees, your leadership team, or a completely different fictional character created with the purpose of communication.
Take them on a journey
Business storytelling doesn’t imply that it has to be dry or too tactical. In fact narrate your brand’s story, with the same passion with which you would tell a 5-year-old the story of prince charming, for the very first time. The idea is to create all the elements of a story – a plot, characters, a villain or a conflict, a hero, and even a happy ending. Take your consumers on a journey and give them an opportunity to experience what your brand stands for.
Storytelling in marketing and communication can help you take the brand to the next level. To help you steer through the initial stages, you can even try out a business storytelling course – strong fundamentals will help you go a long way.
