By Alan Shanley, Copywriter, Storyteller and Marketer at The Right Words
As a copywriter and brand storyteller, people often wonder whether their brand really needs to tell a story: what does it matter? Isn’t it enough that my product does what it says it does on the tin?
The only answers to these questions are yes, it does matter, and no, it’s not enough!
Here are 5 reasons why:
Stories are part of who and what we are as humans
From the time we’re born, we need them to grow. Ever notice the way that babies, from the time they’re born, love books, nursery rhymes, songs, and repetition? As humans, a story is simply how we learn.
They help us navigate the choppy waters of life
Stories help to protect us in our everyday lives. For example, have you ever noticed the way you can convince yourself that you did something for X reason when the truth is you did it for some other reason entirely?
It’s our nature to look for stories even where they don’t exist
Many psychological studies conducted by some of the world’s leading psychologists prove that we never buy anything for the reasons we think we do. Why? Because we make buying decisions with our unconscious as opposed to our conscious mind, while we like to believe we’re in full control of what we buy, the reality is that our unconscious mind is ‘always on’ to help us choose what’s best for us.
They fuel our memory bank
Because we love stories that make us feel good, bring back fond memories of our childhood, we subconsciously (or unconsciously) buy brands that speak to us in a very personal way.
Think of ‘retro’ products: Why do we love them so much? It’s because seeing them on the shelves all these years later is so out of context that it takes us on a trip down memory lane and comforts us. In other words, when we buy ‘retro’, we buy the wrapper, the box, the imagery, the story; the product itself is secondary.
They are the essence of our emotions
“Come here, and I’ll tell you a good one”, “Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear that”, “Wow, that’s incredible”, “You have got to get the new (XXX), it’s amazing”….
Everything we do in our daily lives is a story. Whether it’s something happy or sad, tragic or romantic, a tall-tale told to make us feel better about ourselves or a self-serving untruth designed to protect us from adversity, every single tiny thing we do is just another chapter in our life story.
The Right Words is a copywriting and brand storytelling agency which specialises in helping brands tell their story so they stand out and sell more.
To find out more, visit www.therightwords.co.uk, download the FREE Ebook www.therightwords.co.uk/download-e-book/, or email alan@therightwords.co.uk
