Reaching Women

You’re buying a new toilet. Not exactly glamorous stuff, but it has to be done. You go online to check the specs. One brand lists its tank capacity, liters-per-flush stats, warranty specifics and more. Another prominent brand goes one step further. They’ve got all the hard numbers, but they also explain that their top-of-the-line toilet can flush 16 golf balls. You quickly visualize the industrial power of such a feat and sense what this "wonder appliance" can accomplish. Which brand do you best understand and feel compelled to buy?

Witness the power of storytelling – one of the most critical, cost-effective marketing techniques around.

I love stories, and I’ve always used them in my workshops, seminars and speeches. It’s the most memorable way to illustrate concepts and new ideas. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Len Jacobson <www.corporatetales.com>, a storytelling expert and respected brand consultant who has helped clients in a wide range of industries to discover their innate brand stories.

According to Len, the key word here is discover. Storytelling is about exploring and sharing your true stories, not crafting something that you think will be relevant or attractive to customers. The best brands embrace their stories, then refine and integrate them throughout their organizations.

Levi Strauss & Co. is a great example of building a compelling brand story around the product’s heritage. After emigrating from Bavaria to New York, Levi Strauss set off for San Francisco and made his fortune selling copper-riveted work pants to California Gold Rush miners. He invented blue jeans, and the brand’s "original for 150 years" tagline encapsulates that authentic history. The website is also a virtual archive, filled with the letters, patents and cultural details that illuminate the tandem growth of both Levi’s and America itself.

Brand heritage is just one potential storyline. Here are several brands that actively mine their corporate narratives by tapping into everything from beliefs and dreams to aspirational lifestyles and personal safety:

These successful brands demonstrate how stories build trust. Research shows that customers relate to brands in the same way as they relate to people, and stories provide an HOV lane for accessing emotions on a deeper subconscious level, creating powerful connections that go far beyond the basic plot or players involved in the tale. When your customers understand why you’re selling tires, running shoes or life insurance, it differentiates your brand in the marketplace and gives you a profoundly human edge.

Best of all, storytelling is extremely cost-effective. According to Len, "If you haven’t explored and developed your story, it’s like sitting on a goldmine but refusing to spend a few thousand dollars to send someone down and get the gold."

Here are a few final points to remember when telling your company’s tale.

1. Women connect through stories
Women imagine themselves using and experiencing your products long before they buy. Use a story to place your brand in the context of their lives and they’ll quickly "get it." When a friend tells me that she loves riding her new bicycle to the local farmer’s market and carrying her produce home in the handlebar basket, I picture myself en route to my local market – and I’m a step closer to buying a bike of my own.

Women also share brand information at twice the rate of men. Stories become memorable, sticky shorthand for what’s great about your products and services, and they’re easy to pass on. Think about it. People still talk about how Nordstrom’s will return anything – even tires purchased at the store that used to occupy their site. That story has become shorthand for Nordstrom’s outstanding service. It rallies customers and reinforces corporate values.

2. Your story may evolve over time
Let’s go back to Nike. The company has a strong heritage story, but it keeps building and expanding its narrative. From making shoe soles with a waffle iron to establishing the superhero mythology around professional athletes (i.e. Michael Jordan) to its "just do it" call to action, Nike keeps refining and exploring its place in our lives. Apple is another great example. Once the maverick PC alternative, Apple has expanded its edgy reputation into design-driven products with a strong emphasis on music and urban living.

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I believe that creative personalization is the future. Everywhere we turn, people are blogging, shooting and editing home movies, creating personal playlists and generally doing things their way. Stories provide immediate connect ions with customers as they adapt and incorporate your brand into their busy lives. This is a topic I’m exploring for my next book, and I’d love to hear your examples. If you have a story about a brand experience that used creativity and innovation to get you talking I’d love to hear about it. Shoot me an email.

Sincerely,