GOOD MARKETING GOOD STORYTELLING

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Based on a Presentation by Dave Buenviaje Stratmark 2011 Philippines

WHAT DOES STORYTELLING HAVE TO DO WITH MARKETING? In developing this presentation, I was struggling to fuse two opposing forces: the structured, precise nature of marketing and the ethereal nature of literature and the arts (a personal interest). My initial idea was to go back to the two concepts most basic yet common ground: the crafting of the main idea. However, I was concerned about presenting abstract concepts competition as tension, and character as brand framework to a crowd that expected something more specific and measurable.

Good Storytelling
Good marketing

But sustaining the attention of a crowd of 4000 college students using hard technicalities of marketing (e.g. statistical terminologies) would be a tall order. My presentations effectiveness depended on delivering a compelling proposition based on practical and actual marketing situations. In attempting to merge the two notions (art and marketing), I realized that the process I was undergoing could itself be my main topic: adjusting an idea and its message to suit specific audiences. It was how the storytellers of old managed to address a variety of listeners. STORYTELLING IS INGRAINED IN OUR CULTURAL GENES The relationship between storyteller and audience has persisted throughout human history. Using stories about the gods controlling the cycles of seasons, shamans of old reassured their communities of continuous bountiful harvests. In more modern times, leaders have used stories laced with ideas of courage and patriotism to persuade people to hurl themselves into the chaos of war. Religious leaders have latched on to stories found in sacred texts to spread the idea of faith, and thereby fortify their ever-growing flock of believers.

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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

For the part of the audience, the stories are taken in and then interpreted in the context of their individual experiences. And in most cases, the members of the audience become the storytellers themselves, spreading their interpretation of the original message to whoever would be willing to listen. In this present age, the global community has become one where commercial aggression and product dominance has grown louder and more prominent. In these times, brands have become the key storytellers; the audience is the modern day consumer, and the message now revolves around the promise of a unique experience a relationship that can be developed between brand and consumer. WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORYTELLER? The key to delivering a good story does not depend on the details of the narrative, but on the spreading of an experience that the audience will latch on to, and afterwards share with others. Consider, for instance, the Harry Potter saga. The experience of the series was most powerful not because of the finer details. Instead, it captured the audience with concepts that were universally relatable and emotionally arresting. Harrys first encounter with a wand was not punctuated by how much the wand cost, or the first spell he cast with it. Instead, the essence and highlight of that moment was the amazement and wonder that readers and audience perceived. With Harry, they were introduced to a world where wizards existed, and magic was real.

The same is true for other key moments: it was not where Professor Dumbledore was killed; it was about the loss and anger we felt when he was murdered. In the same way, it is not about how Harry, Ron and Hermione first met: it is about the endurance of their friendship amidst trying times. It is not about Professor Severus Snapes true allegiance, but his enduring love for Lilly Potter, the danger in his sacrifice, and the agony that consumed him as he cradled the lifeless body of the one woman he had ever loved. For our part, it was not about when we first picked up a Harry Potter book, or watched our first Harry Potter movie. It was our experience of Harry on the page or on the screen as a brave, loyal and trustworthy friend who emerged as a hero as the story progressed.
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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

And as storytelling goes, our personal experience of the series insists that no one could have delivered Harrys story better than J.K. Rowling herself. FEELING: THE ONLY TAKEAWAY One of the main characteristics of a good storyteller is the ability to make themselves disappear. A measure of their effectiveness in relaying a story is if their presence as the storyteller eventually falls secondary to the story/experience they give the audience. The audience remembers the story the experience above all else. And a significant factor to the experience is the feeling that the audience is left with. It is this feeling that helps create the emotional connection (or disconnection) between the audience and the experience itself. In the case of brands and marketing, a consumers attachment (and perhaps loyalty) to a brand is significantly determined by the feeling attributed to the brand, generated by the experience of that brands products. For instance, a consumers connection with the coffee chain Starbucks may be rooted in a feeling of relaxation and pleasure. While the consumer may appreciate the coffees taste, the memories of Starbucks may be largely linked to calm, tranquil afternoons with a book to read, a pack of cigarettes, and good conversations with friends. Similarly, a consumers attachment to Apple products is not determined solely by the look and feel of a specific device. Taking the iPod as an example, the attachment is defined by, say, moments of lounging around and blocking off the noise from your surroundings with songs from your favourite band. And as you are immersed in that personal feeling, other details like the products price fall to the backdrop. In the end, it is just you (the consumer) and your personal encounter with the product. If the experience of the product is good enough, consumers will gladly pay for it, sometimes whatever the price may be.

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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

A STORY OF BEER COMMERCIALS When I was eight or nine, I was reasonably excluded from the drinking circle that included my father and his friends. Should I attempt to join them, I was promptly shooed away and told to go watch TV instead. Years later, when I finally had my own set of drinking buddies, I encountered a TV ad that I had encountered as a youngster: San Miguel Beers Sabay Tayo from 1985. What struck me was how this ad, which I could not relate to as a kid, now spoke to me quite well of how San Miguel is the beer that remained constant throughout the various stages of ones life. In the same way, I easily related to Guinness Beer TVCs, which spoke of drinking as a ritual that could strengthen bonds between people, if not create new ones. The reason why the messages of these commercials were of no significance to me as a kid was simple: back then, they were talking to my father. But now, they are talking to me: a grown-up who understands the significance of having beer between good friends. I could not relate to the ad as a kid because I was not the target market.

Sabay Tayo San Miguel Beer (TVC) 1985

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmRPLgp0Bmc

It was a simple realization that now forms part of my thesis: part of telling a story well is knowing who to tell it to, and who are most likely to listen. The notion of knowing your audience, albeit a clich, is a fundamental guideline that must not be underestimated. Take a cue from successful stand-up comedians: they adjust their jokes and punchlines to suite specific types of audiences. STAYING TRUE TO YOUR STORY A good cautionary tale is the Coca-Cola marketing disaster involving their attempt to launch what they called the new Coke.

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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

Their major move in their introduction of the New Coke was changing the taste a strategy based on a conclusion that, based on pre-launch market tests, consumers preferred the new taste over the old one. The initial mistake was assuming that, in a market of increasing competition with the emergence of other beverages, the apparent decline in their sales was because of consumers growing demand for new and different tastes. In reality, however, peoples attachment to Coke was grounded not on taste but on availability: Cokes success in controlling the distribution networks early in the game made the drink readily available to many. With the emergence of other beverage options, the decline in sales was in fact a natural occurrence. Additionally, Coke failed to realize that the earlier advertising of their product as something that brought refreshment to the busy and tired consumers integrated the beverage into American culture. The ice cold Coca-Cola had become part of daily Americana. The experience of drinking Coke was no longer rooted solely on its taste; people have attached a certain feeling of being refreshed every time they consumed it. Upon changing the taste and in effect the identity of this treasured beverage, Coca-Cola unknowingly changed a story that people had already accepted and embraced. Because of this, the market felt betrayed, and consequently revolted. Coca-Cola learned from this damaging misstep, and eventually chose to revert to the old Coke recipe. This story teaches us that brands too must be genuine. Although marketers must remain creative, they must execute this creativity to communicate messages that the market will understand and connect with. Otherwise, the market will see right through the faade.

REKINDLING THE ROMANCE In some cases, the challenge is to remind audiences of a story that has over time grown old and insignificant. A Romanian chocolate bar, aptly named Rom, was facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge. The younger consumers their target market were beginning to gravitate towards American chocolates. Aside from this, the increasing cynicism amongst the youth was eating into their sense of patriotism. Everything that represented Romania was perceived as flat-out wrong; this fact meant that Rom, supposedly bannering everything good about Romania, was fighting a rapidly losing battle.

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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

In a drastic marketing move, Rom mounted a widespread effort that involved exchanging the Romanian national colors on the packaging for those of the American flag. They augmented this move with huge billboards and in-store gondolas brandishing statements like Patriotism wont feed you, and The American Dream now in the Romanian chocolate. Digging into a growing, gaping wound, TVCs showed an English-speaking man telling the Romanians We replaced the Romanian flag with the American one, so Romanians can shine on too! These efforts effectively ignited public outrage that flooded online social media platforms to dizzying lengths. Debates, deliberately fed by speciallycreated teams, reached primetime media coverage. As a result, national pride experienced a sudden resurgence that sent shockwaves nationwide. After a certain amount of time, Rom came out to reveal the ultimate punchline: it was all a joke. TVCs showed the same seemingly American man saying Rom stays Rom no matter what, national colors and all. By the time the campaign concluded, the market harboured a renewed sense of national ego. And Rom chocolate had reminded the people of what it stood for a proud symbol of what it was to be a Romanian. A striking difference between Roms effort and those of Coca-Cola was that in the case of Rom, efforts were made not to change the story, but to remind people of it. There were no artificial statements, no gimmicky efforts, and no betrayal to the original story.

The American Rom Campaign Presentation 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt9NBtW4sbA

Instead, there was only a creative, radical move to rekindle the love that once burned fiercely in the hearts of the market. A DIFFERENT VOICE In the case of Bayan Telecommunications, the challenge was to put out a message that was unique enough to cut through the louder marketing efforts of the competition in the broadband market. The decision was to communicate to Internet users a message that at the end of the day they could relate to and understand. While the competition touted messages of price, speed and product features, Bayan opted to stick with prevailing opinion that the entire brand experience from service installation to customer service assistance was simple and easy.
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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

To reinforce this point, Bayan portrayed the experience of a particular consumer a grandmother, better known as Lola Techie. From the get-go, the striking characteristic with this campaign was its uniqueness. The idea of using a 60-something year old grandmother as an active Internet user was a significantly new and thereby attention-grabbing concept. Through a series of offline and online advertising, Lola Techie was shown using the Bayan DSL service with ease and without hassle. Ultimately, the entire campaign hammered on the idea that the service is so easy, even a grandmother could use it. Another significant move by Bayan was to portray Lola Techie as a representation of every type of Internet user: the gamer, the web surfer, even the irreverent social media enthusiast. In doing so, they effectively communicated to a wide range of Internet users using a style and language to which they easily related. As a result, Bayan generated a successful integrated campaign that reached viral levels, at under10% of the competitions advertising budget. The Lola Techie campaign illustrates the importance and effectiveness of telling a story in a language that the market understands. The competitions dependence on claims of product superiority and (paid) celebrity endorsements came across as forced and ultimately fake. To the market, Lola Techie appeared as a genuine representative of the everyday Internet user just like them. A lesson to be taken from Bayans campaign is that telling a story in a Lola Techie Integrated Campaign unique, innovative and engaging Bayan Telecommunications, BBDO Guerrero manner is inarguably effective. A 2009 brand need not be the loudest voice in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVNohEBxvE0 the room. By merely using the correct language and a distinct manner of telling its story, a brand will eventually create an appealing impression that will draw in audiences without fail.

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Good Marketing Good Storytelling twitter: @jardinedavies

CONCLUSION There is more to being a good storyteller than having a good story. The key is to presenting the story in a manner that gives audiences an unforgettable experience and an enduring emotional connection. In the same way, marketing efforts require honest, consistent messages that ultimately generate lasting impressions. By staying true to their messages, knowing their audience, and respecting existing connections, brands can establish lasting relationships that will produce positive experiences from the customers. Artificial facades and rehashed storylines carry no appeal and can run the risk of alienating customers. The ultimate goal of the brand is to establish a solid identity and remain true to their message of what it is and what it represents. Without these fundamental concepts, any marketing effort will appear substandard, insubstantial, and weak. Finally, brands must understand that their relationship with their customers heavily depend on continually maintaining a pleasurable experience. It is from this experience that a brand, much like a good storyteller, makes its mark as an important, meaningful, and consistent part of the customers lives.
Edited by Andrea Duerme

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Buenviaje is currently a marketing manager at Bayan Telecomunications, Inc. He has had 10 years of professional experience in the fields of marketing and business development. Some of his major accomplishments include winning Silver awards in the Young Marketers Category of the Cannes International Advertising Festival in 2010, and the Cyber Boomerang in 2011. He has a special interest in history, music and the literary arts.

This paper by Dave S. Buenviaje is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Images and cited cases are sourced online and deemed as fair use.

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