When it comes to captivating an audience, there’s nothing like the power of brand storytelling. According to an interview with Forbes, New York Times Bestselling Author Donald Miller states, “Your brain spends about 30% of its time daydreaming unless you’re listening to a story. If you hear a story…your brain stops daydreaming. There’s no other method that captivates a human brain like that.”
Furthermore, “Stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts and figures alone,” according to Jennifer Aaker, Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. So how can a brand harness the power of storytelling to connect with customers?
Here are 4 examples of exceptional and memorable brand storytelling.
Chobani
Chobani has taken yogurt to culinary heights, at least in the minds of their audience, through advertising. By putting the product front and center in the #MadeWithChobani campaign–but in ways you wouldn’t expect–they’ve taken yogurt from a convenient snack to an ingredient in a range of delicious dishes. Chobani’s YouTube channel includes recipes for turning the product into waffles, tacos, and cheesecakes, among other things.
Burt’s Bees
Since it was formed in 1984, Roxanne and Burt have kept the vision of Burt’s Bees simple: What you put on your body should be made from the best nature has to offer.
This falls in line with their general ethos such as the brand’s triple bottom line: people, profit, planet and their dedication to building a product that isn’t harmful to the environment, down to packaging. They’ve also run “bring back the bees” campaigns, and donate heavily to organizations planting wildflowers. The Burt’s Bees brand tells a story of sustainability: A simple yet effective way of connecting with customers who want the best product, but without harming the environment around them.
Nike
Nike has been at the forefront of brand campaigns for decades. Their one-minute commercial commemorating Michael Jordan’s career in 1999 had the Nike brand on the screen for just a few seconds, a far cry from the advertising norm at the time. But Nike knows selling a brand is about telling the right story, and they’ve used this strategy to stay at the top for years, from local campaigns to international ones.
Land Rover
To celebrate their 70th anniversary, Land Rover told the true story of a remote area in the Indian Himalayas, where restored 1957 Land Rovers are used for transporting supplies along treacherous mountain roads. The story of these brave drivers, filmed over 10 days, connects the viewer not just to the drivers, but the amazing vehicles they drive across the mountains.
So how can you harness the power of brand storytelling? These brands serve examples that a company can go beyond products and services, and instead focus on values, engaging customers who share those same values through the power of storytelling.
Don’t stop there! Keep learning with more articles like this:
- 6 Companies That Exemplify Exceptional Brand Storytelling
- Want to Engage Customers? Start with Storytelling.
- 4 Tips on Storytelling for Your Customer, with Julian Guthrie
- The Role of Data in Storytelling, with Jennifer Storms of NBC Sports [VIDEO]
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