About a year ago, I made a video for Fossum Creative where I discussed the power of storytelling as it relates to marketing your products and services. To peel back the curtain for you, it was all part of a long rant I went on for my videographer where I discussed what was on my mind at that moment.
When I took the footage into the editing room (which doubles as my office - gotta love the MacBook Pro), I pieced the interview together into what I think is a compelling little piece about the impact you can have on people by telling just the right story. I thought it was a pretty original approach. And I still feel this way. That hasn't changed.
Here's What Has Changed
But you know how when you're shopping for a car and you suddenly notice every single car on the street? Or when you're in the market for a new computer and you suddenly pay more attention to what that random girl in the coffee shop is using? Or when Apple releases a new iPhone and suddenly everyone seems to have it but you? (OK, maybe I'm projecting a little.)
As soon as I released the storytelling video and started to play up the storyteller angle, it became apparent to me that I was not alone. There were other storytellers out there. Everywhere.
Suddenly, everyone that had anything to do with marketing was a storyteller. At some point when I wasn't looking, "the story" had become the term de-jour of the marketing world. And now that I was looking, it seemed that everyone had become a storyteller.
Kinda Good. Kinda Not So Much.
Of course, the part of me that's still convinced I came up with the expression "I'm Audi 5000" was a little bummed by the discovery. But the marketer in me was thrilled. The role of storytelling in marketing was getting the attention it deserved. And not a moment too soon.
In this new world of social media, businesses need to use storytelling to capture the imaginations of their customers. To bring them into the experience. To engage with them and make them feel more connected to the company.
For intuitive-feelers like myself, it feels like the rest of the world is finally catching up with the way we think. My worldview of connecting through emotion is finally becoming accepted by the marketing community. People are constantly looking for new ways to incorporate storytelling into their marketing message.
The industry as a whole is realizing what many of us had known all along: consumers respond positively to empathy and shared experiences. Because before they are consumers or executives or salespeople or prospects or customers, they are people. And barring those with sociopathic tendencies, people just like it better when they are treated like individuals.
But Here's the Rub
But there is a problem in all of this storytelling business. The term itself is running the risk of overexposure. It is on the brink of jargon status and I fear that it will soon need to be placed on a shelf next to other buzzwords. I worry that the title is about to become a marketing cliche. Which would not bode well for a lot of us in this field.
It's one thing for marketers to call themselves storytellers, but what does this really mean? What role does storytelling really play in the sale of goods and services? And how is this different from what we've been doing all along? Is it just a new title for business as usual?
Once we have a handle on what it actually means to be storytellers in the marketing world, maybe we can put the practice to better use. And help to ensure that storytelling doesn't become just another lame buzzword.
So how do you define storytelling in terms of your marketing? And what companies do you think are doing it really well? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think!
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Cory Fossum is the Principal and Creative Director of Fossum Creative, a Silicon Valley marketing communications and social video agency. For cool video tips, powerful marketing strategies and a healthy dose of geekiness, join us on Facebook at www.fossumcreative.com/facebook.
(c) 2011 Cory Fossum. All rights reserved. You are welcome to use this article on your blog, website, or newsletter as long as you include the entire bio above.
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