What’s The Best Story a Brand Can Tell?

There’s a lot of talk now about brand storytelling. Stories that bring out tears, stories that “draw” smiles, stories that demand likes or shares, stories that offer gifts, etc. Brands succeeded in labeling their stories for the eyes and ears of the consumers, based on their needs. And yet, what is best story a brand can tell?

I’ve thought about this question and I ended up with 4 answers that, unfortunately, are also in the form of questions.

1. The one that reaches as many as possible? – Whether it’s a brand awareness story, a paid story or simply a viral that touches as many hearts or clicks as possible. Is there a story for so many people?

2. The one you paid the least for? -I’ve approached this with a bit of “client thinking” -“If I pay for this campaign, I expect to earn money out of it” and that’s understandable. The problem here is with the word “time” and this is where many fellow colleagues encounter problems with their clients. And that’s when this compromise leads to the cheapest storytelling vs. impact vs. profit scenario.

3. The one that brought you clients? – Also related to the second point, though without the word “time” involved, we have the desired outcome/profit which draws a smile on the client’s face. Naturally, everyone wants to draw as many clients as possible through storytelling, loyal clients who will buy more and more from the brand. By the way, result does not mean more likes, more engagement on Facebook or a greater reach. Result means collecting more money from the client. Simple as that!

4. The one that makes your clients tell the story forward? – And here’s where the power of storytelling comes in and makes the client speak for me. You can call it however you want, from ambassador, to fan, to evangelist, etc. My client is telling MY STORY forward. Because he loves me (me as a brand) and because he wants to. From what I’ve seen on the market in Romania, more and more brands aim for this outcome.

The problem is that brands must understand that stories can’t be bought, stories are earned. Payment may be intrinsic – having to experience something and then telling that story, or having others tell it for you. And this is where the relationship between brand-consumer comes in, and it can stay private or become known by the whole world.

Or maybe the answer lies in a combination of (1+2+3) +4 = happy client/ happy brand.