Crafting connections: How marketers can leverage storytelling for relatable marketing materials and leadership

Earlier in my career, I received valuable advice regarding my leadership style. At the time, I predominantly relied on data to guide my communications, overlooking the power of narrative. While data remains crucial, it paints only part of the picture. I was encouraged to incorporate storytelling into my leadership approach to motivate marketing teams and get buy-in from stakeholders. Storytelling has been a part of human culture for thousands of years, and it has a unique ability to captivate and inspire, surpassing the impact of mere facts and figures. This advice resonated with me, and to this day, I prioritize storytelling as the cornerstone of my leadership strategy. This got me thinking about leveraging storytelling in marketing materials and our marketing leadership strategy.

Marketing leadership

Storytelling extends beyond its impact on consumers; in marketing leadership, it becomes a useful tool for inspiration and motivation, leveraging the human brain's rational and emotional facets. This phenomenon’s roots are in behavioral economics, a field amalgamating insights from psychology, neuroscience, and economics to decipher human behavior in economic decision-making scenarios. Leaders who weave anecdotes, personal stories, and experiences into their communication foster authenticity and forge deeper connections with their teams. It’s also essential to connect with your audience- find out about their values, aspirations, and concerns to relate to them. I find great joy in sharing stories of past projects, my travels, and personal experiences with my team, and I equally enjoy hearing the same from them. Storytelling also enhances memorability. I recall stories shared by leaders far more vividly than raw data, underscoring the enduring impact of storytelling in leadership contexts.

Recently, we achieved a significant marketing-activated win with a multinational insurance company. When it came time for leadership to spread the word among our colleagues, celebrate our success, and showcase the marketing strategies that led to this achievement, we faced a choice. We could present the data as a tremendous joint win with a significant dollar value and leave it at that, or we could opt for a more compelling approach: telling the story behind our outcome. This meant uncovering the journey—sharing the timeline of client events, brand awareness, and consideration building, outlining our targeted media and content syndication program, and explaining how our thought leadership material was pivotal in attracting and influencing this client. By choosing the latter option, we didn't just relay hard facts; we painted a vivid picture of our marketing journey, illustrating the creativity, strategy, and teamwork that pushed us to success.

Brand and marketing material storytelling

However, it is more than leadership teams that should take advantage of storytelling. Brands have realized that tapping into storytelling can deeply resonate with consumers, evoking emotions and driving engagement. According to a study by OneSpot, content that includes storytelling generates 300% more engagement than content without storytelling.

Apple's latest advertisement provides an excellent example of this concept. The video depicts a man scrolling through his iPhone camera roll, where each person in every picture unexpectedly comes to life, singing the phrase 'don't let me go'. The humorous twist at the end reveals that the ad subtly emphasizes Apple's storage capabilities. This lighthearted narrative leaves a lasting impression and reinforces Apple's inclination to inject humor into its advertisements. By crafting engaging stories, Apple captures its viewers' attention, enhances the shareability of its content and adds a human touch to its brand. It comes down to the fact that Apple knows its audience inside and out- they understand their pain points and what irritates people about their smartphones.?

Relatability

One significant aspect of storytelling that brands can leverage is relatability. Relatable narratives resonate deeply with audiences because they mirror their experiences and emotions. Whether through testimonials, video, or written articles, when people see themselves reflected in a brand's storytelling, it fosters positive feelings toward the brand. It cultivates emotional connections that drive loyalty and advocacy. This is precisely why Apple's advertisement is so effective—many of us have experienced the anxiety of running out of storage space on our phones, reluctant to delete cherished photos that capture precious memories. Apple taps into this sentiment to influence consumer behavior. Relatable storytelling encourages loyalty and fosters a sense of understanding and value among consumers. When a brand recognizes and appreciates individuals, they are more inclined to become loyal customers. Moreover, Edelman's Trust Barometer shows that 81% of consumers say that they need to be able to trust the brand to buy from them. Storytelling humanizes brands and fosters trust by connecting with consumers on an emotional level.

Audience perception

However, there are times when storytelling goes wrong. Recently, Apple received backlash for their iPad advertisement. The campaign, which depicted instruments and artistic tools being destroyed, won’t air due to the criticism, according to the Financial Times. The ad was aiming to showcase the innovative technology packed into the sleek design of the iPad. However, disapproving viewers found the advert to be jarring and insensitive, accusing Apple of crushing important artistic and cultural instruments.?

The lesson here is that brands need to ensure that their adverts are sensitive and consider all perspectives- some may have found Apple’s video to be a clever way of depicting the capacity of their thin iPads. But, to some, needlessly destroying expensive and beautiful tech and instruments. Therefore it is unsurprising that, when research was done, the ad overperformed in negative emotions such as shock and confusion. While the Apple iPad advertisement may have missed the mark, it also presents an opportunity for brands to learn and improve their storytelling strategies. By listening to feedback, acknowledging mistakes, and demonstrating a commitment to be better, brands can rebuild trust with their audience and create more impactful and resonant narratives in the future.

Overall, I encourage marketers to tap into the innate human desire for narrative, creating engaging and memorable content that resonates with audiences. Whether through social media posts or relatable video campaigns, storytelling allows brands to forge emotional connections with consumers, driving engagement and loyalty. By crafting relatable narratives that mirror consumers' experiences and aspirations, brands can foster lasting relationships beyond mere transactions. Storytelling isn't limited to marketing material and campaigns; it's also a powerful tool for marketing leadership. Leaders who embrace storytelling can inspire and motivate their teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and trust. By sharing personal anecdotes and experiences, leaders humanize themselves, making them more relatable and approachable to their team members. Ultimately, whether in marketing or leadership, storytelling transcends data to touch hearts, ignite imaginations, and drive action.

Do you use storytelling within your marketing strategy or leadership style? Let me know in the comments.