How to Make Your Brand's Storytelling More Compelling

It has become fashionable for marketers to be “storytellers” for their brand, but for a story to be effective, it must include a dramatic conflict. The tension of the protagonist struggling to get what they want in the face of insurmountable obstacles is what keeps us interested. Without this element, stories can be flat and boring. To make stories more engaging, it is helpful to consider various types of conflict such as character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. nature, character vs. technology, and character vs. society. These storylines can be used to evoke emotions, heighten empathy, and dispel myths and taboos. To get it right, brands need to ensure they have a strong and relevant story to tell and avoid using platitudes.

John le Carré, one of the greatest storytellers of all time, said that “The cat sat on the mat” is not a story, but “The cat sat on the dog’s mat” is the beginning of one. To create an effective brand narrative, marketers should ask themselves if their story is simply a “cat on a mat”. If so, they need to find a dog to introduce the conflict.

At the end of the day, a happy resolution is essential for any brand storytelling. However, to make people care about the resolution, conflict must be included. This will help the story to grip the imagination instead of pretending the world is perfect.