Since childhood, stories and tales have helped us understand the world, have formed us morally and have made us reflect. But… How is storytelling used in advertising?
What is storytelling?
Storytelling (“story” of history and “telling” of telling) arises in the marketing and advertising sector as a means of communication that breaks with traditional methodologies to reach the public. More than trying to sell a product directly, the intention of this tool is to reach the hearts of consumers, excite them and create in them feelings that help humanize companies.
Stories have been part of humanity since ancient times being a narrative format that unites the listener with the one who tells it. It is a simplified way of transmitting messages from entertainment.
Therefore, in a current situation where the excess of information overwhelms us and makes us not pay attention to anything, storytelling is used as a communicational alternative in marketing that forces us to stop and enjoy a good story (related to slow communication).
How to do storytelling in advertising
The basic structure of the narrative is based on 5 essential steps: An introduction where the situation is shown, a context that reflects the problem, the appearance of a hero, an ending and the moral of the story.
This type of communication is common in television ads focused on children, but not everything remains in the children’s audience. Remember how every Christmas people look forward to the lottery announcement? Looking back, all this advertising is based on these five basic principles.
Breaking down these steps, for a lottery ad it would be:
- Introduction: it’s Christmas and everyone has won the lottery
- Context: the protagonist has not won because he has not bought a ticket
- Appearance of a Hero: A friend gives him a lottery ticket
- Final: Everyone enjoys the good news
- Moral: don’t miss the opportunity to buy a ticket and take care of your loved ones
Keys to success
- To be successful with your story, try to make your story have a wow factor that can retain the viewer. Who doesn’t like a good plot twist?
- Use elements that refer and identify with your brand such as colors, costumes or actions performed by the characters. Although it is a more creative communication, we cannot leave aside who we are and what our reason for being is.
- Be clear. Try to convey your message clearly and simply, bluntly. If your narrative is not well structured the viewer may get lost, not understand
Benefits of Storytelling
If we talk about advantages, this type of communication is much more entertaining, it is universal and therefore easy to understand in addition to being narratives that stand out for staying in the memory of those who see it.
Thanks to this tool, products with technicalities such as mobile phones , manage to simplify themselves through stories that activate our need to buy.
For example, if we simply focus on selling a piece of furniture, it will not have the same impact as if we try to create a narrative that excites where the furniture is the piece that solves everything: a family moves to a new house, is sad about the change until they sit on the sofa of their old house thinking that where is the furniture of the brand, it will always be like being at home.
Storytelling in social networks
In social networks we cannot forget to communicate effectively and create connections between brands and users. A good strategy to achieve this phenomenon can be carried out by implementing actions such as sharing stories of people related to the brand, how their products have changed their lives, reviews or using images focused on transmitting feelings and emotions.
According to several studies, such as We Are Social (2021) the consumer’s attention is captured only for 3 seconds, so if you have not directly transmitted your message, you will have missed your opportunity.
Now that you have known the strength and importance of storytelling in marketing strategies, do not lose sight of telling your story so that it remains in the memory of the public.
If you liked this article, do not hesitate to tell us. Have you remembered any ads that use this tool? We read you!
