Have you ever seen a commercial that moved you to tears? By the end, you’re left a shattered husk of a human, but often find yourself thinking,
“Wait, what were they trying to sell me?”
For a while, emotional advertising was beginning to dominate the airwaves. Driven by powerful storytelling, world-class directors, and amazing actors, everything was tugging on your heartstrings. Why? Because emotion leaves a lasting impression. But the question is, what are these impressions designed to make us do?
One of the biggest marketing mistakes I see today is inwardly focused campaigns. Storytelling is powerful, but it’s most effective if you include your audience.
I call this the “You + Them” approach to storytelling I cover it extensively in my workshop The Art of Storytelling.
Most companies start with ads talking about themselves.
“I am the best company ever. I provide a list of services. You should buy them because I’m awesome.”
Reading it in that context was clearly cringe-worthy. And yet, you’ve still probably done it. In a pitch, during an interview, in a video maybe? The problem is that you’re only telling your audience what you do, not why they need you. If you go to a doctor, you don’t ask for specific treatment because you’re not the expert. You just point to where it hurts. That’s how people find solutions to their problems. They look for a way to relieve the pain. So why are you trying to sell a stethoscope to a person that simply wants the pain to stop?
On the other hand, when you tell your audience’s story you prove to them that you understand who they are. It shows a clear appreciation for their identity. The only issue is that it never shows how you fit into the framework of their life. You can raise awareness and move your audience emotionally, but as for conversion well, that’s another thing.
This is one of the most critically acclaimed ads in recent memory. It had everything you could ask for. Passion, a driving narrative, a hometown hero, beautiful cityscapes, and local celebrities. The only thing it didn’t have was a reason for anyone to buy a Chrysler 200. Everything that happened could’ve happened with or without the product. It was a story about Detroit, no car needed. And if the news is any indication, that level of storytelling never extended to the vehicle or ownership. Storytelling should go beyond one medium — in this case the commercial. It should permeate the product and delivery. You can’t talk about luxury and not deliver on it. The story then becomes full of plot holes, and when that happens…
The true power happens when you can tell a moving story that shows how the product plays a role in your consumer’s life.
Woven in between the moving narrative of a young lady finding a new way to connect to her grandmother is the Apple ecosystem. The subtext? Apple empowers human connection. Without this ecosystem, it’s harder to do that. Whether this is true or not, the ad makes a compelling case.
Even as we build a Storytelling Agency and I host storytelling workshops, I worry that we’re reaching buzzword status. It’s important to remember that we’re doing this for a business purpose. When crafting a narrative built for conversion you have to make sure your target can envision themselves inside your brand.
Coca-Cola recently updated their messaging and campaign to Taste the Feeling. Why? “Open Happiness” was getting too philosophical.
The new campaign is “going back to the core values of Coca Cola,” he said. “We have been just talking about the brand, but talking very little about the product.” Marcos de Quinto, Coca-Cola Global CMO
Their campaign was getting too far away from the product its self. It’s ok to induce a feeling of joy. But if it’s not converting to sales, you’re just doing art for art’s sake.
When creating your marketing narratives remember, nobody cares about just you, and everybody knows themselves. You have to show how your brand fits into the daily life of your customers, in a clear and emotive way. Then you can get back to Opening Happiness, or whatever.
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