Brands need to think differently if they want to successfully shape their narrative in the age of social media

In this era of hyper-connectivity and intense social scrutiny, many brands are turning to storytelling as a way to gain more eyeballs.

But gone are the days where people naively believe anything companies tell them.

So what does storytelling really mean, and why does the traditional story arc not work for brands?

Endings don’t feel real

Our first counter with a traditional story arc is when we were young, when grandparents told us life stories, or when we read Enid Blyton books.

As we grew up, we consumed novels and movies — most of which used the same story arc.

Here’s how a traditional story arc goes: there’s a beginning (exposition), middle (rising action, climax) and ending (falling action, resolution).

But does the story really end there?

If you think back carefully, you’ll realise that these stories always take on a fairytale-like quality.

Why?

Because endings don’t feel real. I believe that as humans, we are hardwired to seek patterns and answers, but not necessarily endings.

We intuitively seek continuity.

Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl but there’s an obstacle. Problem is overcome and they live happily ever after, galloping off on a shiny white horse into the beautiful sunset. Cue credits.

What does this mean for brands?

In Marty Neumier’s book The Brand Flip, he writes about how the rise of social media has placed customers in a position of power to shape brands and ‘draw meaning from it’.

In other words: ‘Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.’

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Stories are ways to frame our perspective of the world and how others see us.

So how can companies create a narrative framework that continuously engages people?

The new story arc model

Often, companies approach brand stories as a linear, closed narrative — with a beginning, middle, and ending — about how the company was founded, its journey to success, blah blah blah.

But the irony is, the traditional story arc doesn’t create conversations with people.

And in this new world where customers take charge, such company-centric narratives are a big fail for engagement.

The best brand stories are open-ended, tributaries of ideas and aspirations that continue from the source.

Here’s how a brand story arc could potentially look like:

Pardon the terrible sketch

How the new story arc translates into a brand story (Case study: Patagonia)

It’s no longer about your company, but your customers.

Here are a couple of ways to kick start the brand story ideation:

1. What is your company’s Big Idea?

Is there a purpose that your company exists for, beyond making money?

In this new world of gluten-free food, environmental consciousness, hipster-ness, and ethical values, people buy into big ideas and aspirations.

Like what Marty Neumier wrote: “They [people] no longer buy brands. They join brands.”

For example, outdoor brand Patagonia is known for their commitment to providing solutions to environmental crises, while running a sustainable business.

But most importantly, their mission isn’t just idle chatter. They walk the talk with their company policies. That’s what makes it so inspiring.

People want to tell great stories about themselves. They want to be heard, seen, and understood.

Patagonia has created a strong brand which resonates with not just with hardcore nature lovers looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, but also people who aspire and look up to these ideas.

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When someone buys a product or uses a service, they are creating a story about themselves.

However, companies need to understand that at this point, their brand is out of their hands, and completely within the control of customers.

This is where sincerity and good, honest company practices come in.

Because at the end of the day, all people want to be is the hero of their stories.

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Image Credit: Tanja Heffner on Unsplash

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