Can storytelling really increase brand recall by over 2000%?

First in a series of videos celebrating the impact of well-chosen words on brand numbers

Research suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it’s wrapped in a story, according to this article from Forbes. But how true is it?

When the “storytelling” craze first took hold in the communication industry in the early 2000s it left me somewhat underwhelmed.

As far as I could tell, “storytelling” was little more than a rebrand of what talented communication professionals had been doing since my grandmother was a child.

The famous ad for the US Music School “They All Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano … But When I Started To Play!”  by legendary copywriter, John Caples, is a case in point. It was written in 1926.

Nothing new under the sun. Or is there?

Today, storytelling has been repackaged in a host of different ways, most of which offer value. It’s a tried and tested formula after all.

But of the numerous storytelling models available there is one that, in my opinion, stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Not all storytelling approaches are created equal.

Best-selling author of Building a Story Brand, Donald Miller, bases his method on the premise that consumers aren’t that interested in brands, only in what brands can do for them. Or, as he himself bluntly puts it: “Customers don’t generally care about your story; they care about their own.”

Before examining Miller’s approach in more detail, it’s worth considering some background on storytelling in general.

The Forbes article referenced above focuses on making presentations more memorable – and the storytelling approach it puts forward would certainly apply to most other forms of marketing communication too.

However, one can only imagine that the “22 times more memorable” claim would vary hugely across brands. Even so, it’s probable that story has the power to make any brand more memorable, at least to some extent.

But how does it work?

The theory is that we’ve been using story to share ideas and information ever since gathering around a fire in a cave was the only form of social media.

Before the written word, we relied on the memory-enhancing power of story to record history (hi story;) and to convey ideas. And we’ve used it to great effect for hundreds of thousands of years.

Over time, story has become so ingrained in us that, today, our brains are hard-wired for it.

The hard-wired nature of story is evident in the fact that we typically only find stories which follow a certain pattern rewarding.

It’s likely these familiar patterns stimulate the brain’s reward centres – and dopamine is addictive.

Book publishers and movie producers understand this formula all too well. Their livelihoods depend on it.

Look no further than Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and every Marvel movie ever made for examples.  

Some argue that all stories are simply variations of a single formula, the hero’s journey, and that this same story has been told and retold in different ways since time immemorial.

How to make story work harder.

The ways in which “the hero’s journey” story template can serve your brand are well explained in Building a Story Brand, introduced above.

Most marketers know all too well that stories build emotional connections, stimulate memory, and help people understand ideas more easily.

However, they often focus more on the “why”, “how”, and “what” aspects of story rather than the “who”, even in organisations that see themselves as “customer-centric”.

In his book, Miller reminds us that the customer should always be the hero of the story, not the brand: “This is the secret every phenomenally successful brand understands” he says.

Your brand’s role is to help the hero survive and thrive.

Miller summarizes the basics of his “story brand” approach as follows: A CHARACTER (the customer) wants something – but encounters a PROBLEM that stands in their way. At this moment of challenge a GUIDE (your brand) steps in, gives the customer a PLAN, and CALLS THEM TO ACTION. This action helps them avoid FAILURE and to end with SUCCESS.

Fleshing out all the elements of the above model allows you to truly understand the hero (your customer), their fears, hopes and motivations, and how your brand fits into their story - in ways that enable them to avoid life’s pitfalls and win triumphs over challenges great and small.

This insight into your customer’s story can then be used as a springboard into every aspect of brand communication – brand strategy and messaging formulation, sales funnels, branding campaigns, names, claims, web pages, social media, content campaigns, email… i.e., across all communication channels.

In addition, immersing yourself in your customer’s story makes it so much easier to understand what you are really selling, for example: Clothing or self-confidence? Business equipment or better customer relationships? Restaurant meals or bringing families together? Wine or social status? Insurance or dignity? Cars or responsible parenting and citizenship?

As Miller points out, powerful brands don’t just sell products and services, they change lives.

I have just skimmed the surface of the value that Miller’s approach offers brands in this article. Again, I highly recommend his book and for those who wish to dive even deeper, i.e. use the Story Brand approach to clarify your core brand message and improve engagement, you can learn more here. (Full disclosure: I am not affiliated with Amazon or Donald Miller in any way).

Examples of brands that use story well.

Nike would be an obvious example of a brand that uses the power of story to change lives, as would the great #LikeABosch campaign. Humorous and entertaining, the latter shows how Bosch products solve practical problems for the customer (or hero) and also make him look cool, savvy and in-touch with the times. Like a boss.

There are further examples in my approach page on this website.

I also applied a little simple storytelling in the fun video at the top of the page. Here, in a nutshell, is the thinking:

The hero (you) want greater success (increased brand recall and adoption) and likely also fear possible loss or failure, both on the brand and personal levels.

According to Psychology Today, fear of loss is more motivating than hope of gain. Which is why, in addition to highlighting the upside, the video reminds you of common pitfalls most brands face (being ignored, forgotten, and losing sales). Acting as a guide, I then offer a plan for success: the power of story.

Another thing I did was include numbers, because, as the author of the Forbes article referenced above points out, “Injecting hard numbers into your story will raise the stakes and bring your call to action into clearer focus.”

Bottom line - the combination of data + story – satisfying both left and right brain thinking – is what will ignite your audience to act.”

If you’d like to explore using the power of story to positively impact and grow your brand, get in touch.