Hello! Here’s some food for thought. We are all familiar with my deep passion for storytelling, which I am happy to share with you. As a marketer, I hold a profound belief in its strategic significance, which is why I am always eager to explore the insights of industry experts. As a member of the Chartered Marketing Institute, I regularly receive their magazine, Catalyst. In the latest issue, a thought-provoking article on storytelling by Helen Hepworth, Director at Collective Stories, caught my attention.
In a nutshell, Hepworth’s article delves into the role of storytelling within the retail industry, skillfully highlighting the distinctions between what storytelling is and what it isn’t.
Storytelling is:
1. Order in Chaos: It serves as a guiding light, distilling brand messages into meaningful insights, nurturing connections that transcend categories and prices, and facilitating clear and effective communication. In other words, it transforms the point of sale into a miniature open book.
2. Knowledge Transmission: It functions as a conduit for knowledge transfer from the storyteller to the audience, enhancing understanding of the message. Humans are inherently wired to grasp concepts more effectively through stories.
3. Truth, Authenticity, and Efficiency: It revolves around authenticity and efficiency, encapsulating the essence of truth.
Storytelling isn’t:
1. Fiction or Deception: As simple as that. It isn’t about weaving fairy tales, peddling snake oil, or perpetuating illusions akin to the emperor’s new clothes.
Crucially, Hepworth offers a significant insight, which seems to be omitted from the “how-to” guide provided at the end of the article, that is, “stories motivate people to take action.” I agree.
Indeed, without a compelling call to action, a story, no matter how engaging, informative, or memorable it could be, would miss its scope. An aspect that is deeply woven into our evolutionary history, as experts consistently remind us. So, next time you write a story for your audience, please mind the call to action. Persuasion is the name of the game.
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- Source: https://thisisoliver.co/2023/10/18/what-a-story-is-and-what-it-isnt/
