When clients ask us to describe the most effective content that can be shared, I always give the answer “if you have the choice, tell emotional stories.” That answer is then followed up with the statement “Trust me, an emotional story will always leave a lasting impression.”
From Dove’s “Real Beauty” and Procter & Gamble’s “The Talk” campaigns to Always “Like a Girl” and Gillette’s “Perfect Isn’t Pretty” initiatives, notable brands have mastered the art of appealing to emotions to tell memorable stories that communicate moments of change. Most brands that aren’t good at driving long-term brand health tend to prioritize product demos and rational messages instead.
Truth be told, it’s less risky to get out of your comfort zone and tell an emotional story.
In fact, emotionally connected consumers spend up to twice as much with preferred retailers and recommend brands at much higher rates: 30.2% vs. 7.6%, according to Motista’s Predictive Intelligence Research.
Make it appropriate to the times and tug at the heartstrings – this can mean humor, too. Your brand will grow, and your customers will forge deeper connections to it. In short, be different, be relevant, be branded, be authentic – then stick with it. All of this is within the Chief Marketing Officer’s purview, even if the product isn’t highly distinctive or you have no control over it and can be tackled with the goal of creating brand notability through your storytelling.
It’s as important to be mindful of two other elements that can undermine your success as a brand:
First, unempowered leaders who can’t commit…
Leaders cannot afford to second-guess their moves. They must make and stick to decisions. Taking a strong stance, prioritizing the long term, and having conviction in their actions and decisions is key to setting the organization up for success.
Second, seeking gratification through short term thinking…
Brands have to move beyond immediate tactics, which for most looks like figuring out how to convert to sales. Having long-term thinking is core to a brand strategy. There are reasons why Nike, Adobe, Jeep and Disney World have established such brand power: they provide real value and use distinctive, emotional, and relevant storytelling as the tool to bring it to life. It’s the formula for leaving lasting impressions
Said differently, don’t interrupt the things people love – be the thing that people love. In a world where quality content is available everywhere and always, there is no time to SELL. Brands are now competing with every other content producer for the limited attention of their audience. Approaching them with a “storied” mindset – does this have meaning, is it engaging, and will it reward the person for the attention they gave? – is the most powerful strategy for developing a relationship with an audience.
Connecting emotionally with consumers is a signal that a brand respects them and their time and wants to tell a story rather than just see them as buyer. For brands that get that right, audiences will be with them for as long as James Bond has been on the screen.
Joe Bouch, CEO
78Madison
You have only five seconds to captivate your audience, and 78Madison knows how to make the best use of that time. Through high-impact visual and written content, we craft narratives that shine a bright light on the benefits that only you offer, and we describe them in a voice that is carefully tuned to your audience’s ears. We aim to make your visitors feel as intimately familiar with you as if they had visited you in person. Let’s connect. jbouch@78madison.com