Storytelling
I spent most of my weekend offline. Which was so nice.
Friday night lights.
It began with a high school football game, and moved on to lazy neighborhood strolls, impromptu jam sessions, and late night family dinners. This was a weekend fat with laughter. There was a moment at the table—our dinner plates empty but not yet cleared—when I looked around at everyone’s faces. They were fully engaged in the tale of the family’s legendary wiffle ball games, laughing, interrupting to share remembered details.
It reminded me how powerful a story is. Narrative is the engine that moves our world along. It’s what creates connection and inspires action. We forget that sometimes, don’t we? Especially in our world of “likes” and QR codes and whatever the next batch of shiny and new turns out to be.
Consumers are hearing more messages in more places than ever before. Without a story to tell, a distinct brand voice, a rallying cry – your brand’s message will fragment and disappear in the never-ending stream of modern communication.
Just last week, Cathy Monetti handed me a Boden catalogue to look through because she guessed (accurately) that I’d like the clothing. What immediately intrigued me was the great care they took to tell their story on every page. Every instance of copy, even down to the small “please recycle” message, had been carefully considered and crafted in Boden’s distinct, light-hearted voice.
On each page, Boden listed the first name of the models and their answers to questions ranging from: What scares the pants off you? to What do you think about when you’re traveling? Such a small detail, but it resonates because it reinforces the story Boden’s been telling all along: We’re human. We make feel good clothes. We believe in delight. I sauntered over to their website where I discovered other unique brand-building elements, like instructions for building a teepee and an end of summer bucket list.
Consider your brand’s communication efforts. Is there a story? Would your fans recognize your brand’s voice? We can build award-winning apps and deploy multi-faceted social media strategies and write snazzy ads—but in the end, what people will sit around their dinner tables and talk about is a great story.
