Your Branding Can Benefit From Emotional
Storytelling
Storytelling
is as old as language itself, having originated around our ancestors’ primal
campfires, or perhaps in the safety of dark caves, back in the very beginnings
of our human story.
Each
person and thing has a story, and when we know it, we better appreciate the
importance of getting to know it. If a story immediately hits an emotional
chord with us, we're very eager to enjoy it. This is often true for products
and brands as well.
In
this article, TFS help you look at the advantages of
embracing emotional storytelling in your corporate brand, whether or not you
should embrace it, and, if so, how.
Branding As A Strategic Asset
It
is believed that branding means your logo and web
site design, but that is not strictly true. To develop a concept of your
business in your head and generate its related image in your target audience's
mind, storytelling is the context you must use. Ideally, it'll incite
the desire to purchase in audience.
As
soon as you learn the meaning of an idea to inspire emotion and consequently
action, you understand how crucial branding is to your business's strategic
assets.
Emotional Triggers, Emotional
Connection And Storytelling In Branding
While
purchase motivation is often driven by function, we frequently make purchases
of a brand or product based on an emotional impulse.
Hence,
when approaching branding, the first step is to understand the target market
and their purchase motivations, particularly what they aim to satisfy or aspire
to emotionally when buying your product.
Brands
can identify and utilize hundreds of possible emotional triggers, but some of
the most common are:
•
Make an impact or be successful.
•
Create a better future.
•
Feel a sense of belonging, comfort, safety, peace of mind, or freedom.
•
Enjoy instant gratification.
•
Preserve the environment.
Having
a clear understanding of what motivates your particular customers will allow
you to conceive a branding idea that will create an emotional connection that
will drive sales by provoking the right emotional trigger in your customers.
Having
clearly defined your branding idea, based on the right emotional trigger, you
can begin planning how to communicate it.
Instead
of telling, storytelling doesn't give consumers the opportunity to disagree or
question you. Since you're only telling a story.
An impactful story often depends on whether it inspires an emotional connection
with its characters or a sense of relatability with its central idea.
Should You Employ Emotional
Storytelling In Your Branding?
While
developing and articulating a central idea that customers can connect with is
essential in establishing a successful brand, emotional storytelling is not an
effective technique for every business.
You
need to think about how the emotions of your customers will impact your
business's objective with respect to whether or not to appeal to them or not.
Some products and services just don t encourage emotional decision-making.
Examples of products where a rational, transactional approach might be more
useful than an emotional strategy might be if you were marketing car parts.
How To Use Emotional Storytelling In
Your Branding
If
emotional storytelling is a good fit for your business, begin by pinpointing
the emotional trigger that prompts your customers to purchase. From there,
establish a brand image with a message you want your customers to associate
with your product or service.
The
next step is to develop a story that can communicate your idea by inspiration
or association.
There
are different types of brand storytelling, such as brand founder stories, employee
stories, customer stories and inspirational stories. Consider the particular
story your story needs to evoke the desired emotion.
Now
you have to determine the most effective way to tell your story, whether by
using creatives or by making a short video in which you can add to your
website, on your social media account, or through advertisements.
At
this phase, you must make certain that your visual design and aesthetic look
are appropriate for your target audience and your storytelling vision.
In
conclusion, emotional story telling is an effective branding strategy because
it can create an emotional connection with consumers, which can lead to
increased loyalty and brand advocacy.
