Businesses and brands have been using marketing storytelling for ages to entice and influence customers. They employ and create a narrative to communicate a message that is relevant to the audience. While, originally, stories were used to explain the world and to shred beliefs and identities, brands have taken it into a different form. Now, brands use storytelling to reach their audiences, make connections, and tell the world what they are about. Marketing storytelling has become a steadfast part of many companies' brand strategies. This is because it is one of the best ways to build a community.
Moreover, marketing storytelling is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd and carve a niche for yourself. Businesses use it to inspire customers to take certain actions without having to actively sell their products. This helps the companies build trust and foster loyalty with their customers. Plus, storytelling can be used to humanize the brand. Which can result in two things. One, it makes it easier for customers to relate to your brand. Since it is much easier for a person to connect with another reason as opposed to with a company. Two, humanizing the brand, means that your customer will find it easier to approach you. Read More: What is Hero's Journey and How to Use it for Articles and Brands?
Here are a few examples of brands that use marketing storytelling
1. Disney
While consumers might see Disney as a company in the business of entertainment, it is so much more. Marketers and businesspersons alike can learn so much from Disney when it comes to marketing storytelling. Disney generated most of its revenue from their merchandise, their entertainment parks, and theme-based food. Therefore, it is safe to say that the company is in the business of creating products. Disney is indeed a multinational conglomerate. However, Disney’s brand strategy and marketing storytelling are much different from conventional business.
Disney differs from other businesses in the sense that its marketing strategy is reversed. This is because Disney creates stories first and then created products. This means that they already have an audience that relates to and watches their content. Then, Disney goes out and creates merch for the stories, turning characters into commodities, like plushies and pop dolls.
These stores can range from fairytales to the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Marvel franchise. Therefore, Disney has created stories aimed at diverse sets of demographics, reaching people from all walks of life. Hence, everyone, from children to adults, buys Disney products from stories that resonate with them. Read More: The Psychology Behind Why Certain Narrative Storytelling Techniques Work
2. Luca+Danni
This brand has a very heart-warming origin story that is based on family, perseverance, and love. And that is exactly what the brand itself encompasses. Jewelry can be a thoughtful gift or a family heirloom that is to be passed down for generations. Additionally, jewelry can mean so much to some people: an object of love, a way to remember someone, or a way to show affection. Moreover, the brand includes its inspiration for each piece, so that the customer can find the perfect piece with the perfect message.
The brand started as an attempt to revive a family tradition of jewelry making that turned into a way to honor relationships. The brand uses storytelling to show the emotion behind every price and uses family values in its brand to appeal to its audiences. Additionally, all their communication happens in the first person. Making the experience more intimate and personal for their customers. Plus, the brand gives off a feeling of belonging, like you're on their journey with them which can be a priceless experience. You could say that their entire marketing storytelling is based on community and family. Luca+Danni became more than just a jewelry business. To the founder, Luca Magnanimi is an homage and legacy to his family. Read More: What is Data Storytelling and How to Master It?
3. Apple
Apple products are famous representations of status. The iPhone-android discourse has been going on for ages and likely will never end. However, iPhones as a symbol are not the only marking that Apple is doing for its products. Storytelling is another thing that Apple is famous for. They create relatable and educational content that provides high value to their audiences. Apple, in its storytelling, focuses on what the product can do and makes you feel indeed of the product itself. In all their content, they try to show how you can use their products in everyday life and how some ferrets make things a little easier to do.
Apple is notorious for having skillfully created high-value content as well as a great storytelling strategy. Apple has successfully created a niche for its products and its marketing story. All of this is because, after a lot of trial and error, they know how to tap into an audience's attention and keep it. Their strategy keeps evolving with their audiences and the current trends. Apple knows the importance of brand storytelling and they know how to do it well. And that is the secret of their success. It is one part great product and one part great storytelling strategy. Read More: Why Storytelling is an Important Skill for Marketers?
4. Dove
Dove was a small company that made moisturizing beauty bars back in the day. And now they are a global brand with products running from body washes to shampoos to hair styling products. While you might think of Dove as a lifestyle-beauty brand, they have proven to be so much more than what they manufacture. They have shown time and time again that stories matter, especially customer stories, and that is one of the foundation pillars of Doves' marketing strategy. Moreover, Dove knows what emotion to tap into, to make its content relatable and impactful.
Dysphoria is a far too common phenomenon. It is easy for insecurities to flare up when you see a picture-perfect model on Instagram. Plus, there is a lot of shame attached to physical flaws such as acne, wrinkles, and cellulite. Additionally, body images have become a tremendous problem among young adults and teenagers. Dove has not only included men in their storytelling, but they have also brought attention to the problems people face due to these physical flaws. Their 2013 campaign, “Beauty Sketches” was an instant hit that focused on natural beauty. Dove knows their target audiences, and the problems they face and created content around empathy and confidence. Read More: 3 Effective Frameworks For Brand Storytelling
5. MudLOVE
MudLOVE is all about sharing love, building a community, and supporting clean water projects in Africa. And for this, they make ceramic and pottery products. They have a wide range of products, from bracelets to mugs. With MudLOVE, you don't need to wonder about what the company does. It's simple: spreading love through handcrafted products. Additionally, they fund many clean water projects as a way to give back to the community.
MudLOVE always encourages its customers to speak and share the love. And they also encourage their audiences to share the same with the world, pics or otherwise. Mud Love launched “MudLOVE stories”, a campaign that centers on the customer and their journey with the product. Many take to social media to show how they are using MudlOVE products and how it is inspiring and helping them. This is a great example of incorporating customer-generated content into one's meriting storytelling strategy. Read More: 4 Examples of Effective Storytelling by Brands to Inspire You
6. Inkbox
Tattoos are a great way to express yourself and find your creative voice. People use tattoos to show connections to certain aspects of their life. Some people even get tattoos together to show their love and commitment, friend and couple alike. However, for some people, getting a tattoo can be a nerve-racking experience, because of needles or because they do not want a permanent mark. Inkbox makes the experience easier for them, without taking away the feeling attached to it. Their semi-permanent tattoos can last up to 1-2 weeks. This means that you can experiment until you find the perfect tattoos. Or, it can be your temporary solution for a creative outlet.
No matter which tattoos you what or why Inkbox has got you. And they have created a community based on people who use tattooing as a creative outlet. Additionally, the company has used the “#TattoosForNow” to foster a community and see what their customers are up to. With their community and their marketing strategy, they have crafted their persona on self-expression and diversity. And you can see this from the customer who shares their stories with the hashtag. Read More: 5 Simple Steps: Create Content Strategy Plan From Your Buyer’s Journey
7. Old Spice
Old Spice had the problem that every company has every few generations. They just happened to be too old for the newer audience. When too many youngsters were claiming that Old Spice was for grandpas, the company decided to give itself a makeover. However, that wasn't as easy as said, they were up against brands that were established in the young adult demographics. A competitor would be Axe, a company that was a hit and appealed to millennials. And Old Spice hit this one out of the park with their campaign.
Old Spice launched a campaign called “A Man Your Man Could Smell Like” with astonishing results. The company turned to market geniuses, Wieden and Kennedy, to save the company. Wieden and Kennedy, during research, realized that women were purchasing the majority of body washes. This meant that in families and couples, it was the woman doing the shopping. Hence, the campaign was born. They decided to appeal to female demographics instead of male audiences, as their competitors were doing. The ad starts with the Old Spice Man addressing the audience with a “Hello, ladies”, instantly setting themselves apart from the rest. And with their new marketing storytelling strategy, they saw instant results. Read More: 4 Types of Content to Bring Diversity to Your Blog
8. Zillow
The company provides a range of services. Ranging from an estimated value of properties and homes to price comparisons, credit checks, and aerial photos of the property. Initially, the company had little to no marketing budget, and it relied heavily on its USPs (unique selling propositions). While they were the largest web player in their industry, they had very little brand exposure. This changed in 2013 when Zillow launched its marketing storytelling campaign, “Find Your Way Home.” Since then, they have launched many campaigns over the years.
Moreover, their ads featured relevant use cases and were very strategic about including elements that the customer would respond to. Zillow wove the “Find Your Way Home” campaign around the phrase “You’re not just looking for a house. You’re looking for a place for your life to happen.” In their 2016 campaign “Home” they told stories of people such as single fathers, and mothers who loved cooking, among a few. Zillow emphasized diversity to bring in varied audiences and to show that home was unique to every individual. Read More: 5 Simple Steps: Create Content Strategy Plan From Your Buyer’s Journey
9. Hinge
The tagline for the dating site is one of the best taglines a company has ever had. “The dating app is designed to be deleted.” At first glance, it seems almost counterproductive. However, the tagline promises hope and results. It is incurably authentic and evokes strong emotion. Hinge changed the content in the dating industry by shaking things up. Their content is based on the promise of the Right One. While most dating apps focus on trying to retain customers. Hinge promised their customer that they wouldn't need the app after a while. They include authentic tones and messages in their communication.
It's clever and shows that Hinge cares about the journey of a single person. The company launched a campaign called “Let's Be Real.” The company focused the campaign on highlighting bad dating experiences in an honest conversation. With the content that Hinge puts out, they focus on their customer experience rather than the app itself. Instantly connecting with their audiences and opening up conversations with them. Read More: 7 Killer Headline Tips to Help You Increase Website Traffic by 500%
10. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a brand that is a very popular house name. The soft drink company is famous across demographics and population segments. The marketing storytelling behind the company is nothing short of genius and awesome. If you think of the signature red and the ads of people drinking Coca-Cola on a hot day or at a social gathering, you won't be the only one. What made Coca-Cola and a cool drink on a hot day synonymous? And this is an excellent example of marketing storytelling that the company uses.
Not only does marketing storytelling raise brand awareness. But it also connects to audiences with a simple fact: nothing beats a cool drink on a hot day. Additionally, the company uses its signature color liberally in its ads to invoke excitement and passion. This coupled with their message, their ads are something that no audience will forget. They focus on emotions when they campaign, not on their product. Which makes them come across as relatable and personable instead of salesy. Plus, it creates the perfect environment for building a following.