how to use story theory to create brand affinity

How Story Theory Can Help Increase Brand Affinity

Storytelling has become marekting’s new hammer. Everthing is starting to look like a nail.

StoryTelling Teach

Influence Persuade Inspire

Entertain

= Outcomes

StoryTelling Teach

Influence Persuade Inspire

Entertain

Story Theory Cause-Effect But what about the In-Go?

= Outcomes

Theory Sources:

Doug Lipman

Annette Simmons

Robert McKee

Kendal Haven

The Application of Story Theory

To Branding

Pulling it all together:

Evolutionary Biology : 150,000 years of Storytelling

Seriously! You should have

seen the mammoth that got away!!!

Theory: Our brains have been

hard-wired by evolution to make sense of the world

in story terms.

Joe: Hey, why don’t we get out of this place.

Mary: Sure. What do you have in mind?

Read the following:

Then, answer the following

Where are Joe and Mary?

What’s their relationship?

Where do you think they will go?

Our brains want to complete stories, even when there’s incomplete information.

Processors

Conscious Mind

Processors

Our Story Filters

Sensory Inputs

First Filter

Second Filter

Processors

Sensory Inputs

Mirror Neurons

Processors

Neural Net“Story Filter

Reframe it Reject itIgnore it

Complete it

Accept it Make Sense

From Prior Knowlege

The“Make Sense” Filter

An ambulance pulled up to the emergency room entrance.

The crew wheeled in a stretcher. The patient was a teenager who had been in a bad car

accident. The ER physician gave the boy a quick once over and

said, ”He needs to get into surgery, immediately. But I can’t operate on him, he’s my son!"

The physician, who was not the boy's father, was telling the truth. Who was the physician?

The physician is his mother.

The Implication for Marketing: It’s difficult, if not impossible

to erase prior knowledge

No matter how hard you try, it is extremely difficult for people to “Unthink” who you are.

Audience Storyteller

Story

Stories Are “Relational”

Doug Lipman- Story Dynamics

Audience Storyteller

Story

The Story - Audience Relationship

Mirror Neurons

Processors

Neural Net“Story Filter

(Identification)

Can I see myself

in the story? Sensory Inputs

The Identification Fliter

Identification

Sympathy Empathy

Situational Fit Emotional Fit

I Can See Myself In A Similar Situation

I Can Identify With The Feelings Of The Actor

Empathy Drivers

I hold the same belief/value

I experience the same feeling

Cause Outcome

Audience Storyteller

Story

Stories Are “Relational”

How well do audiences relate to the storyteller?

Content Made Sense Identification/Empathy

Delivery

How the story is told Perceived Motive of the Storyteller

Motive

ManipulateSellShare

Implain Explain Control

2+2=

Implaning- We Like to Come To Our Own Conclusions

Andrew Stanton Writer of Toy Story, Wall-E, & Finding Nemo

There is seven-eights of it under water for every part that

shows. Anything you know you can

eliminate only strengthens your iceberg.

It is the part that doesn’t show.

Ernest Hemingway

The Iceberg Principle

Hemingway’s 6-Word Story

For Sale: Baby Shoes Never Worn.

We don’t like to be told what to think. We’d rather be told what to think about.

Story reveals meaning without committing the

error of defining it

Hannah Ahrent, Political Theorist

What’s A Story?

Towards a Definition of Story:

Tale, novel, play, motion picture, comic serial, radio play, television show

video game, interactive story, photograph,

music

Definition

A recounting of a sequence of events

A narration of an incident or a series of events

Today I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, fed the cat, ate breakfast and then drove to my office.

(don’t wait for the movie!)

A Narrative about a

CharacterMotivated To Do

Something

Story

This morning John swam 50 laps of the pool Then he rested up for 3 minutes

And swam 50 more. He did the same thing in the afternoon.

A Narrative about a

Character Motivated To

Do Something

To Accomplish Some Goal

Story

This morning John swam 50 laps of the pool Then he rested up for 3 minutes

And swam 50 more. He did the same thing in the afternoon.

John is training for the Olympics.

This morning John swam 50 laps of the pool Then he rested up for 3 minutes

And swam 50 more. He did the same thing in the afternoon.

John is training for the Olympics.

John lost his legs while fighting in Afghanistan

A Narrative about a

Character Motivated To Do

Somehthing

To Accomplish Some Goal

Who Must Overcome

Some Obstacle

Story

A Narrative about a

Character Doing Something

Motivated To Accomplish Some

Goal

While Trying To Overcome

Some Obstacle

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

Brand GoalObstacle

A Narrative about a

Motivated To Accomplish Some

Goal

Goal ?

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

A Narrative about a

Purchase Behavior?

Goal ?

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

Affinity

Goal

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

Affinity Purchase Repeat WOM Raving Fans

A Narrative about a

Affinity

Goal

Character Motivated To Do

Something

Brand

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

A Narrative about a

Affinity

Goal

Make great products.

Provide great service.

Brand

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

“People don’t buy what we do. They buy why we do it.”

I

Simon Sinek

Start With Why

(Actually, they buy what we do AND why we do it)

Motive

ManipulateSellShare

Implain Explain Control

The extent to which people can identify with your motive is the extent to which you will achieve brand affinity.

A Narrative about a

Affinity

GoalBrand

Share AnImportant, Authentic

Belief/Value

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

Objects in Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are

Look where you’ve been

Archetypal Analysis

Personify Your Brand

www.bit.ly/Brandcharacters

Free Guidebook on How To Use Archetypal Analysis

The Rebel: Dollar Shaver Club

A Narrative about a

Share AnImportant, Authentic

Belief/Value

Affinity?Brand GoalObstacle

Using The Same Structure For A Brand Story

Awareness

Comprehension

Trust

For People Like Me

Four Obstacle Levels

I

II

III

IV

Now What? •Don’t worry so much about telling your story.

Worry about what your story is.

•Use Story Strucutre to Define Your Story

•Do Less Explaning and More Implaning

•To achieve brand affinity, do less selling and more sharing

Then, LIVE YOUR STORY!

Native Foods October 24, 2014

www.eswstorylab.com