The true value of storytelling

I spend a lot of time talking about the power of storytelling. To me it seems obvious. Stories are the most compelling way for people to make sense of their place in the world. When you tell a story well, people engage with and connect to it in a way that they wouldn’t otherwise? - and it’s a process that creates genuine value.

One of my favourite examples of this is the Significant Objects project.?

Significant objects?

In 2009, journalists Rob Walker and Joshua Glen set out to buy a stash of what was essentially brik-a-brak in New York’s second-hand shops. Everything they bought - novelty pens, toy cars, an unused box of birthday candle - had very little monetary value. Nothing of any real ‘worth’.

However, when they sold the objects on eBay later the same year, collectively these items sold for almost $8,000, an almost 2,700% increase in final markup.

How did they create such a massive amount of extra value? Storytelling.?

The journalists had engaged 100 writers - including Meg Cabot, William Gibson and Colson Whitehead, to write short stories about each of the items they’d bought. When they sold them on eBay, they posted these stories alongside to bring them to life.?

By linking stories to the objects, they were imbued with meaning - and their value literally and directly increased. People made an emotional connection and, as a result - they were willing to pay more.?

It’s no different when it comes to brand storytelling

Telling your brand stories gives your audiences the chance to make an emotional connection with something they might not otherwise. It’s a way of communicating who you are, what you do and the impact you make - of showing your humanity.??

As consumers become increasingly values-driven they are increasingly looking to engage with companies they feel match these values - a motivation intensely driven by emotion.?

One survey finds that consumers who feel emotionally connected with a brand tend to spend more and exhibit higher levels of brand loyalty.?

Make your brand memorable?

Stories are easier to remember than facts. In a noisy marketplace, a values-driven piece of content that tells a story will cut through the noise and stick in the minds of those who engage with it far more than something founded only in hard facts. A consumer is more likely to remember the way you made them feel, the emotion your brand evoked in them, over a statistic or testimonial.?

How to surface your brand story?

We are experts in working out what your brand story is, and how to tell it in a purpose-driven way that resonates with your audiences. We have our own proprietary methodologies for surfacing the impact you make and a team of passionate and creative storytellers who can communicate who you are as a brand in a way that resonates with your audiences.?

Find out more about how Rationale can help you tell your brand story at: www.wearerationale.com