The Brand Storytelling Report 2015, commissioned by the content marketing agency Headstream, found that eight out of 10 people want brands to tell stories, but 85 percent of people surveyed could not remember a good one. So while the call for brand storytelling is strong, few brands are getting it right. In fact, 64 percent of people surveyed said they don’t think brands are good at telling stories.
Why are brands missing the mark so significantly when it comes to telling stories their customers will remember? To answer this question, we must first answer this: Is your content strategically aligned with your corporate message?
A memorable story must be relevant to the audience experiencing it. In B2B storytelling, a good story activates the emotions you want your target audience to experience in relation to your brand and positions you as the only company that can meet their unique challenges and understand their unique pain points. To accomplish this level of ownership within the hearts of your customers, you must deliver a clear, compelling and consistent message that is strategically aligned to your Corporate Messaging Platform and aligned to your documented persona profiles.
Good storytelling is strategic and intentional. But that’s not all it is. Good storytelling also resonates at an emotional level. Good stories encapsulate the essence of your brand and are developed and delivered in such a way that connects with the hearts of your customers. And this doesn’t happen by chance. The key elements of a Corporate Messaging Platform — who you are, what you do, the value you deliver your customers and your key points of difference — paired with the key elements of a persona profile — persona business goals, business challenges and personal and professional pain points — serve as the foundation for developing content that is both memorable and actionable.
