Competing for the hearts and minds of your prospects can be challenging. But if I told you that there is a true way to set yourself a part – would you listen to me? I hope so. But what if I could back up some of my ideas for you with research – would that have a greater impact? I think so.
Let me share with you a significant piece of research. When I say “significant,” it is not only my opinion, but the opinions of a legion of advertising and marketing folks. This research has set a foundation and positioned storytelling as an influential factor in engaging a customer or prospect. So let me sound academic for a moment with the following information.
The Advertising Research Foundation [ARF] conducted a research in October 2007 with the findings reported in Brandweek. Even though the research was conducted several years ago, it is still very relevant today.
Brandweek’s headline was:
New ARF Study Says Storytellers Succeed
“Want to market your brand better? Then tell a story. That’s the top finding from an intensive three-year study titled On the Road to a New Effectiveness Model released this month.
The Advertising Research Foundation and American Association of Advertising Agencies, both based in New York, set out to measure consumers’ emotional responses to TV advertising. What they discovered is that advertisements that tell a branding story work better than ads that focus on product positioning.”
We, who are in experiential marketing, can learn from this study and apply it to our offerings in the event and trade show world. These research findings permeate through the marketing suite and have been applied successfully.
Another section of the Brandweek article says:
“The report contends that in many ways, advertising is stuck in the past. The 20th century was dominated by a one-way transactional focus where ads were pushed at consumers. Today, consumers interact with ads to “co-create” meaning that is powered by emotion and rich narrative. “Advertising has been standing on the sidelines, stuck on the language of positioning,” said Randall Ringer, managing director and co-founder, Verse Group, New York. “Telling a story about the brand is more engaging, memorable and compelling than telling a bunch of facts. What worked 30 years ago with a 30-second spot doesn’t work today.”
And I can tell you first hand that when a brand engages me with a story, their message has real impact. More about storytelling in our next post.