The Art of Storytelling in Brand Management

• Being part of the noise
• To shout louder
• Taking refuge in pop culture
• Relying on technology
• Correct answer: None of the above
• Correct answer: Engage: To capture someone’s interest. To hold their attention. To connect with them.

(Marketing Above The Noise, Linda J. Popky)

• Because by dreaming and watching stories, we prepare ourselves for real life.
• Through stories, we figure out how to deal with real-life dilemmas.
• Through stories, we reinforce our values and identity and pass them on to future generations.
• Because we don’t just watch these stories—we experience them firsthand.
• Through stories, we try to make sense of the world around us or escape to other worlds.
• Neuroscience and Storytelling: Striking Evidence on the Impact of Stories

• Not every anecdote is a story.
• Stories almost always revolve around someone dealing with a problem.
• The 5-Second Rule
• The Good Guy vs. the Bad Guy
• Introduction, body, conclusion

(Story Worthy: Matthew Dicks)

• Hero
• Ordinary
• Life
• Rejection
• Mentor
• Effort
• Return Home

(The Hero With The Thousand Faces: Joseph Campbell)

1. Hero: The hero of the story is the consumer, not your brand. Focus on the hero’s single desire. The “Good Guy” in your story should be the consumer.
2. A Challenging Task: Companies try to sell solutions to external and rational problems, but customers are looking for solutions to internal and emotional problems. The “villain” in your story is the internal and emotional problem the consumer must overcome. Focus on the internal and emotional problem the consumer must overcome.
3. Guide: Your customer needs a guide, not another hero. As a compassionate and strong mentor, show your customer the way.
4. Plan: Consumers trust a guide who has a plan. Help the consumer plan the process.
5. Motivating Action: Consumers won’t take action unless you encourage them. Put your consumers at ease and encourage them to take action.
6. Avoiding Failure: Like everyone else, consumers want to avoid tragic outcomes. Show your consumers what will happen to them if they don’t choose your brand.
7. Defining Success: Never assume that consumers will understand how your brand will change their lives. Present them with a vision.

(Building A Story Brand: Donald Miller)

First, determine the end; then, determine the beginning

• The brain is programmed for survival. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
• Maslow’s confession on his deathbed.
• The evolution of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
• How the Brain Works: The Authority of the Emotional Brain.
• Final Note: The 7 Basic Human Instincts: Desmond Morris.

Let’s Gain a Deep Understanding of the Hero:

• So far, we’ve been talking about “consumers,” but from this point on, we’re focusing on the concept of “human beings.”
• Motto: There are no consumers—only people.

At the end of the training, we write the story above using creativity patterns:

• Unification
• Activation
• Metaphor
• Subtraction
• Extreme Consequence
• The Absurd Alternative
• Inversion
• Extreme Effort

(Cracking The Ad Code: Jacob Goldenberg)