WRITE SUCCESS WITH GAURI
WRITE SUCCESS WITH GAURI
“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” — Robert Mckee.
Stories have been a part of our lives since their inception. From a young age, we are conditioned to believe in stories and ‘happy endings. And why not? We love stories; we love hearing them, we love reading them, and, sometimes, we also love telling them.
Moreover, we have evolved as a species that craves stories, and it comes as no surprise when we find ourselves making drastic changes because we were exposed to a powerful story that tugged at our heartstrings.
And this is where we end up finding ourselves, in a complex network of stories woven together intricately, to not only capture our attention but also allow us to immerse ourselves in the content.
Big brands have now laid their traditional methods to rest and have dipped their toes into the expansive world of storytelling content marketing.
Before we begin, here is the first-ever ad that made me fall in storytelling, especially in advertisements was this
Now, to begin with, what exactly is storytelling? Well, storytelling is the interactive art of telling stories with theatrics and improvisations. In addition, storytelling is a medium that allows the speaker to pass on their knowledge, beliefs, experiences, and values, which are then passed down generation after generation as a testament to a life they have lived.
In fact, the connection between storytelling and ourselves is not just limited to illustrative examples, but its existence has also been proven scientifically. For instance, it has been discovered that when exposed to a story, certain parts of our brain light up before processing it to relate to our own experiences. But most of all, our brain also releases the ‘feel-good’ hormone dopamine, which makes us emotionally charged, resulting in an easier and much more accurate recall.
So naturally, as we grow with time, we perceive the world around us in the form of a story. Building our own narratives, meeting people who end up playing minor roles in our lives, and moving on from one chapter of our lives to the other.
Here is an Instagram link to one of my photography clients’ photoshoots, where I did authentic Indian & English storytelling. Something intense & love-ridden.
In today’s fast-paced world that waits for no one, brands live in a constant need and fear of ‘new content. Considering how diverse the present generation is, it is a herculean task to dish out content deemed relatable by the masses.
And this is where this age-old art of storytelling comes in because when done right, good stories can yield powerful results.
Because in today’s era, where people can skip their way through advertisements, being able to engage the audience for even a few seconds seems unachievable. Hence, the need to create content that the crowd wishes to see is through the roof. Stories effectively help increase audience engagement and build customer relationships, proving themselves a much better option than their data-driven counterparts.
But that’s not all that stories do. Instead, there are a myriad of reasons they have taken the content writing world by storm.
Stories offer a better understanding of complex concepts, making it easier for the audience to access the provided information effectively. Also, studies have found that telling stories makes it much easier to remember information later.
Moreover, we as humans find it simpler to pay attention to stories and recognize ourselves personally with a brand, making the brand much more appealing.
Storytelling in content marketing plays a major in humanising the brand, making it easier for people to connect to their stories emotionally. This is because stories engage our emotions, so no matter how preoccupied we might be emotionally, we would still connect with a story.
So, if a brand aces its storytelling marketing, it might influence the future choices of an individual. For example, let’s take Nestle’s Maggi. By playing to their storytelling strengths, depicting the struggles and worries of a working mother and the happiness of children when served the meal, it not only gave the viewers something they related to personally but also increased the sales and gained a considerable following.
Stories are one of the most powerful communication tools to engage a crowd. They not only provide us with knowledge and values, but they also motivate and inspire us, eventually pushing us to take action. And when brands take up stories and bare themselves to the consumers, they foster not only a deep connection and brand loyalty, which subsequently helps in marketing the business.
And when it comes to inspiring and motivating people, Unilever’s Dove took it upon itself to inspire millions of women across the country to be comfortable in their skins. That physical appearance doesn’t matter by promoting its #StopTheBeautyTest movement.
Dove challenged Indian beauty standards with its powerful stories and campaigns, making itself more relatable, authentic, and worth purchasing.
A ‘good’ story is relative to an individual’s opinion, but a few non-negotiable components are necessary for a story’s buildup.
– Engaging — A great story requires attracting the audience’s attention in seconds. Stories should be entertaining enough to keep the people engaged and captivated until the end.
– Relatable — Stories must be personal and built on personal experiences. An authentic and truthful narrative helps build a strong emotional connection where people relate to a story on a personal level.
– A clear structure — A story should be in a structure that is familiar to the targeted audience. In this case, every story has a beginning, middle, and end, so using this plot would provide a better understanding to the masses.
– Unforgettable — Constituting themes like — humour, emotion, inspiration, motivation, etc., in a story can make it stick in the audience’s mind.
Stories in Mainstream Marketing
Now that we’ve seen how stories can be used as a magnificent marketing tool and build strong relationships with consumers. Why don’t we delve deeper and look into some real life brands that used the said strategy and brought around a twist in their marketing game?
Nestle’s Maggi is not just a pack of instant noodles but it is an emotion, a sentiment that 1.39 billion people across India share. Since its birth, Maggi captured the attention of people of all ages by integrating valuable emotions into their infomercials and was an instant hit in Indian households.
Initially, when launched, Maggi’s target demographic comprised the middle-class families, especially the working women, who wanted a quick and easy snack for their children. But it later widened its range and entered the rural households by introducing its ‘Chotu Maggi’ range. Thus, making its way to all sections of the society and setting a firm foothold in India’s instant noodles market.
Courtesy to this reputation, and the numerous positive memories, Maggi also made a successful comeback to the Indian market after being banned for months with its #WeMissYouToo campaign.
Amul is yet another homegrown brand that is well known in Indian households. Amul is one of the largest dairy-based organisations in India. It was first set up in order to help farmers sell their milk and milk-based products at fair prices with no involvement of middlemen. The fact that this brand follows the trait of — ‘for the locals and by the locals’ makes it even more human to its consumers.
Not to mention the ‘Utterly Butterly Delicious’ Amul girl still runs strong and is recognized by millions of people as a part of their childhood memories. Also, with its witty commercials and catchy taglines, Amul intricately integrated the emotions of its consumers and built a legacy, all the while tapping into the hearts and minds of its consumers throughout the country.
Nike is well known for including heartfelt story lines in its marketing strategy. Nike’s three word tagline “Just Do It” slogan resonates with people of all demographics irrespective of any external factor.
This tagline that transcends all boundaries helps people connect with the brand’s identity. Be it a high performing athlete or an amateur, the brand’s strong and emotional storytelling methods have helped it connect beautifully to its consumers on so many levels.
‘Always’ is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products. In 2014, they launched their infamous campaign #LikeAGirl.
Given the taboo that revolves around the female hygiene products, the campaign featured its battle of ascertaining the fact that the girls kept their confidence throughout their puberty all the while tackling the norms laid by the society, and not just in their adolescent life but also adulthood.
Stories aren’t just for children any longer; stories are what build up a brand’s worth and loyalty, and involving stories in your projects isn’t just a new marketing strategy anymore; it’s the actual backbone that will not only help maximise business but also leave an impact.
Also, in today’s world, where consumers are in control, building stories that feed their interest is imperative because, believe it or not, the human touch is something consumers crave in today’s digital world. And providing that would breathe life into your brand, making it more human and memorable.
So, if you wish to build a brand that gets noticed in this world of faceless entities and ultimately becomes an empire, storytelling is your way.
What do businesses in today’s day have in common? They are all involved in online marketing, be it an online business or an offline business, everyone has an online presence. And in this age where people have a hard time putting their phones down, scrolling miles throughout the day, googling vast varieties of information, going online is crucial.
Now to begin with, online marketing differs from traditional marketing, which includes billboard, television or radio commercials. Online marketing refers to the practice of using web-based channels to spread messages about a brand’s services or products to its potential customers. Several techniques such as- social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing are used to promote a brand’s influence on the online channels.
But with everyone going online, it also becomes harder and imperative to produce content that offers both information and entertainment through engaging and motivating content which not only attracts new customers but also retains the old ones.
So, how can you spread your words effectively and pleasantly? What can your brand say to make it stand out from the crowd? What can you say to keep your customers curious about what your brand has yet to offer?
The answer? Copywriting. This is where copywriting comes into play in online marketing.
Copywriting refers to an occupation of writing a text for the purpose of advertising a brand or selling a product or service. That text is called a ‘copy’ which aims to increase brand awareness. Also, unlike the traditional methods of marketing, this ‘copy’ persuades the viewer or reader to take action. This action can vary from buying a product, subscribing to a service to engaging with the brand on online platforms.
Copywriting has been around since the beginning of marketing itself and to this day it is something that a brand cannot do without. However, copywriting is not just about forming attractive sentences and getting them online. It is more about connecting with the customers on an emotional level and building curiosity and engagement, and a well-written copy does just that.
The success of a brand heavily relies on the bond it forms with its customers and a compelling copy can get a wide variety of emotions out of the potential customers, leaving them wanting more and excited, and also wondering how your brand could benefit them.