What is brand storytelling?
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 6:49 am
How would you tell your story? Where do you come from, where did you live, where did you study, why were you given that name, what do you like to do, what are your dreams? These questions help to build a narrative for your life, that is, your personal storytelling.
Just like people, brands also have stories . And these stories become growth of the overseas chinese in canada interesting and attractive narratives from the perspective of brand storytelling, one of the main branding strategies .
Brands also have an origin, places they have been through, difficulties they have faced, people they have met on their path and many dreams they have ahead of them. Telling this story can be a crucial point of emotional connection with your audience .
In this article we will talk about brand storytelling so that you understand what it is, its importance and how to use this concept in your brand. Stay with us:
Why use brand storytelling?
What are the benefits of brand storytelling?
How is brand storytelling applied in communication?
How to put brand storytelling into practice?
What is brand storytelling?
Brand storytelling is the creation of narratives to communicate the brand's identity and connect emotionally with your audience.
A brand story is one of the pillars of branding. It is comprised of everything you are, everything you do, and why you exist. It encompasses all the definitions of brand building, such as personality, purpose, values, culture, mission, and vision.
It is worth remembering that the history of brands is also being written in the present, in their day-to-day lives, in the decisions they make at every moment. Thus, brand storytelling is not only about how the brand got here, but also what it is doing to get where it wants to go.
But we're not just talking about the description of these elements on the About Us page of the website. Brand storytelling goes much further. This area of branding creates a narrative, with the elements and techniques of storytelling , to talk in an engaging way about your origins, your journey and the values that guided your choices.
We're not talking about fabrication either. You can use fiction in brand storytelling and create a more interesting narrative — and that's the art of storytelling. But you can't make up facts about the brand's story , okay? People connect with transparency and authenticity. When they feel let down, the brand is shooting itself in the foot.
Why use brand storytelling?
We live in a fast-paced world. There is no time for anything, but new stimuli, new information and new demands keep appearing to fill our day.
As a result, consumer attention to brands is becoming increasingly scattered. It's easy to forget which brand you saw in the ad — after all, so many have appeared in a row... It's also easy to switch from one store to a competing one — just open a new tab on your computer...
At the same time, people are looking for stronger connections with brands . As new generations move forward, brands and consumers are establishing increasingly closer and more human relationships.
Millennials no longer want brands that just sell products — they want real commitments to society and the future of the planet. Starting with Generation Z, this demand on brands intensifies: they must have a purpose and values that connect with the audience.
That's why brand storytelling has become one of the main branding strategies. Stories are capable of involving people on a deeper level, awakening emotions and affective memory, triggering empathy and generating identification.
Storytelling is therefore a way of communicating what the brand is, what it stands for and the values that underlie its personality. But not through a text that mentions this information in clichés, for example. Storytelling conveys the brand in a more subjective and abstract, interesting and attractive way .
Remember that stories have been told since the dawn of humanity, before any form of writing existed. They are the most primitive way of spreading knowledge from generation to generation. That's why being dedicated to telling stories is in the very essence of being human.
Think of the image of an old man, with a group of people sitting around him, eager to hear his stories, as in the image below. This is also the case with brands that tell their brand storytelling and involve the community around them.
brand storytelling
Source: Wikipedia
What are the benefits of brand storytelling?
Below we will detail the benefits of brand storytelling when bringing together the facts, emotions, values and purpose of the brand in a narrative. Let's go through them:
Engage consumers
Storytelling engages the audience . Storytelling inserts people into the story, into the relationships of the characters, into the setting of the story. It is as if the viewer were participating in the moment. For this reason, people get involved in the narrative.
As we said, in a scenario of numerous stimuli and distractions, engagement can keep people closer to the brand for longer and with more intensity.
Humanize the brand
Brand storytelling conveys the idea that brands have stories just like people. They have a personality. They have values that guide their decisions and a purpose that motivates their journey. They go through difficulties and have achievements. They want to find their "place in the sun."
Thus, storytelling humanizes the brand. Humanization awakens empathy, identification and brings the brand closer to the person .
Generate an emotional connection
Brand storytelling brings narratives of achievements and failures, of obstacles and redemption, of friends and enemies, of heroes and villains.
Just like when you read a book or watch a movie, these stories stir up emotions . You root for the hero, mourn the defeats, laugh at the jokes, suffer through the difficulties, and cry when everything goes right.
That's what brand storytelling does too. By arousing emotions, the brand's story connects more deeply with its audience.
Increase brand attraction
Brand storytelling doesn't just bring victories and achievements. It also talks about the obstacles, failures, difficulties and pains along the way — if it weren't for them, the brand wouldn't have gotten this far, right?
That's why brand storytelling increases its appeal. According to the Pratfall Effect , the appeal of people — and we can understand that of brands as well — increases after making a mistake.
It may sound strange, because nobody likes failure. But error is human and shows that the brand is authentic .
How is brand storytelling applied in communication?
It is not enough to create a narrative for your brand. You have to know how to communicate it to the public. Therefore, brand storytelling must appear in communication, at the different points of contact with the consumer, from the most basic formats to the most complex narratives.
A brand story can be told in many ways. The most basic channel is the About page on the corporate website , which can include a text about its origin or even a timeline of its main milestones. Take Netflix's About page as an example :
brand storytelling
The brand can also tell its story in an institutional video or on social media — in a presentation post, a series of posts or in Instagram story highlights, for example.
A creative example of using social media to tell the brand story and engage audiences is the Fisher-Price Toy Museum .
In 2020, on the brand's birthday, the company created an Instagram profile like a virtual museum, with all the toys it has launched and that marked the childhood of several generations. It is a nostalgic timeline that tells the story of the brand and, at the same time, connects with the public's memories.
But brand storytelling can use other resources and be a bit more complex. The brand story doesn’t have to be as linear and literal as a timeline. Other elements can come into play to build a more interesting narrative about what the brand is and why it exists.
That’s why the brand story can also be revealed in narratives that intersect with the brand’s history . The story of the customer who overcame challenges with the product, of how the team organized to create an innovative solution, of how the company developed its organizational culture — all of these help communicate the brand story and its values to the public.
Airbnb, for example, told the story of the creation of the brand logo to show its purpose. From this story, it managed to build the idea of belonging anywhere in the world, which is the pillar of its mission.
Just like people, brands also have stories . And these stories become growth of the overseas chinese in canada interesting and attractive narratives from the perspective of brand storytelling, one of the main branding strategies .
Brands also have an origin, places they have been through, difficulties they have faced, people they have met on their path and many dreams they have ahead of them. Telling this story can be a crucial point of emotional connection with your audience .
In this article we will talk about brand storytelling so that you understand what it is, its importance and how to use this concept in your brand. Stay with us:
Why use brand storytelling?
What are the benefits of brand storytelling?
How is brand storytelling applied in communication?
How to put brand storytelling into practice?
What is brand storytelling?
Brand storytelling is the creation of narratives to communicate the brand's identity and connect emotionally with your audience.
A brand story is one of the pillars of branding. It is comprised of everything you are, everything you do, and why you exist. It encompasses all the definitions of brand building, such as personality, purpose, values, culture, mission, and vision.
It is worth remembering that the history of brands is also being written in the present, in their day-to-day lives, in the decisions they make at every moment. Thus, brand storytelling is not only about how the brand got here, but also what it is doing to get where it wants to go.
But we're not just talking about the description of these elements on the About Us page of the website. Brand storytelling goes much further. This area of branding creates a narrative, with the elements and techniques of storytelling , to talk in an engaging way about your origins, your journey and the values that guided your choices.
We're not talking about fabrication either. You can use fiction in brand storytelling and create a more interesting narrative — and that's the art of storytelling. But you can't make up facts about the brand's story , okay? People connect with transparency and authenticity. When they feel let down, the brand is shooting itself in the foot.
Why use brand storytelling?
We live in a fast-paced world. There is no time for anything, but new stimuli, new information and new demands keep appearing to fill our day.
As a result, consumer attention to brands is becoming increasingly scattered. It's easy to forget which brand you saw in the ad — after all, so many have appeared in a row... It's also easy to switch from one store to a competing one — just open a new tab on your computer...
At the same time, people are looking for stronger connections with brands . As new generations move forward, brands and consumers are establishing increasingly closer and more human relationships.
Millennials no longer want brands that just sell products — they want real commitments to society and the future of the planet. Starting with Generation Z, this demand on brands intensifies: they must have a purpose and values that connect with the audience.
That's why brand storytelling has become one of the main branding strategies. Stories are capable of involving people on a deeper level, awakening emotions and affective memory, triggering empathy and generating identification.
Storytelling is therefore a way of communicating what the brand is, what it stands for and the values that underlie its personality. But not through a text that mentions this information in clichés, for example. Storytelling conveys the brand in a more subjective and abstract, interesting and attractive way .
Remember that stories have been told since the dawn of humanity, before any form of writing existed. They are the most primitive way of spreading knowledge from generation to generation. That's why being dedicated to telling stories is in the very essence of being human.
Think of the image of an old man, with a group of people sitting around him, eager to hear his stories, as in the image below. This is also the case with brands that tell their brand storytelling and involve the community around them.
brand storytelling
Source: Wikipedia
What are the benefits of brand storytelling?
Below we will detail the benefits of brand storytelling when bringing together the facts, emotions, values and purpose of the brand in a narrative. Let's go through them:
Engage consumers
Storytelling engages the audience . Storytelling inserts people into the story, into the relationships of the characters, into the setting of the story. It is as if the viewer were participating in the moment. For this reason, people get involved in the narrative.
As we said, in a scenario of numerous stimuli and distractions, engagement can keep people closer to the brand for longer and with more intensity.
Humanize the brand
Brand storytelling conveys the idea that brands have stories just like people. They have a personality. They have values that guide their decisions and a purpose that motivates their journey. They go through difficulties and have achievements. They want to find their "place in the sun."
Thus, storytelling humanizes the brand. Humanization awakens empathy, identification and brings the brand closer to the person .
Generate an emotional connection
Brand storytelling brings narratives of achievements and failures, of obstacles and redemption, of friends and enemies, of heroes and villains.
Just like when you read a book or watch a movie, these stories stir up emotions . You root for the hero, mourn the defeats, laugh at the jokes, suffer through the difficulties, and cry when everything goes right.
That's what brand storytelling does too. By arousing emotions, the brand's story connects more deeply with its audience.
Increase brand attraction
Brand storytelling doesn't just bring victories and achievements. It also talks about the obstacles, failures, difficulties and pains along the way — if it weren't for them, the brand wouldn't have gotten this far, right?
That's why brand storytelling increases its appeal. According to the Pratfall Effect , the appeal of people — and we can understand that of brands as well — increases after making a mistake.
It may sound strange, because nobody likes failure. But error is human and shows that the brand is authentic .
How is brand storytelling applied in communication?
It is not enough to create a narrative for your brand. You have to know how to communicate it to the public. Therefore, brand storytelling must appear in communication, at the different points of contact with the consumer, from the most basic formats to the most complex narratives.
A brand story can be told in many ways. The most basic channel is the About page on the corporate website , which can include a text about its origin or even a timeline of its main milestones. Take Netflix's About page as an example :
brand storytelling
The brand can also tell its story in an institutional video or on social media — in a presentation post, a series of posts or in Instagram story highlights, for example.
A creative example of using social media to tell the brand story and engage audiences is the Fisher-Price Toy Museum .
In 2020, on the brand's birthday, the company created an Instagram profile like a virtual museum, with all the toys it has launched and that marked the childhood of several generations. It is a nostalgic timeline that tells the story of the brand and, at the same time, connects with the public's memories.
But brand storytelling can use other resources and be a bit more complex. The brand story doesn’t have to be as linear and literal as a timeline. Other elements can come into play to build a more interesting narrative about what the brand is and why it exists.
That’s why the brand story can also be revealed in narratives that intersect with the brand’s history . The story of the customer who overcame challenges with the product, of how the team organized to create an innovative solution, of how the company developed its organizational culture — all of these help communicate the brand story and its values to the public.
Airbnb, for example, told the story of the creation of the brand logo to show its purpose. From this story, it managed to build the idea of belonging anywhere in the world, which is the pillar of its mission.