PLACE BRANDING: TELLING A STORY THAT STICKS

Aligning your branding and messaging through a story that sticks

By Cindy Sargent, Chandlerthinks Creative Director/Brand Strategist/Copy-Story Development Lead

From a very young age, we’re taught life lessons and ideas through stories. Fairytales and fables were the right vehicle for delivering messages to us at that time in our lives. They worked because we are hardwired for stories, and that doesn’t change as we grow older. Stories connect us on a more personal, emotional level, which makes them a powerful way for engaging others. The right story can affect perceptions and drive behavioral change.

Carnegie Mellon University decided to put this theory to the test by working with Save The Children in a fundraising effort for their non-profit. They provided 2 different letters seeking donations for Save The Children from 2 different groups. One group was given a letter with the facts about the devastating food shortages facing 3 million people, severe drought affecting another 3 million people and 11 million people facing hunger and starvation. The other group was given a letter about a single young girl named Rokia facing a devastating food shortage, severe drought and starvation.

The people in the group given the Rokia letter gave more than twice as much to Save The Children as the group given the letter with statistics and facts. And no wonder. A psychologist’s recent study found that people are 22 TIMES more likely to remember details when stories communicate messages rather than just facts or figures.

Unquestionably, stories work. When it comes to getting content noticed, stories can raise your ranking and visibility on search engines and social media. But beyond that personalized stories make us care, think, feel and remember. They elicit trust and make us want to connect with the storyteller. And when that storyteller happens to be a place, whether a tourism destination or a municipality, those stories can build curiosity, engagement, anticipation and relationships with audiences over the long term.

Of course, hearing a story isn’t the same as being there – but it’s the next best thing. People naturally respond to personalized stories because they are relatable, more meaningful and can trigger emotions. And when you trigger an emotion, you automatically have someone engaged. The more emotion or hooks we put into our stories, the better they’ll stick.

Fortunately, there’s nothing magical or mysterious about creating stories that resonate, elicit emotion and are memorable. Following these 7 recommendations can help:

BE AUTHENTIC – Be honest about who you are, your values and any unique and distinguishing assets that set you apart.

PERSONALIZE IT – Draw upon real experiences, whether yours or someone who knows your place and has experienced it in a personal, unforgettable or unique way.

HAVE EMPATHY – Make it relevant using words and images that mean something that matter so people can see themselves in your story.

CREATE YOUR OWN VOICE – Capture your distinctive personality and character, as well as a tone for your story that can be consistently used throughout other communications.

INTEGRATE YOUR STORY – Align your brand story with your goals and incorporate it into all areas and touchpoints, from external marketing to internal communications.

SURPRISE – Don’t overlook the opportunity to introduce something unexpected about your place that few may know about.

INSPIRE – Your story should inspire and spur others to think about you in a new or different way. If it inspires you, more than likely it will inspire others, too.

A good story can make someone feel good. A great story can make someone think. And an exceptional story can make someone act, because people decide with their hearts, not their minds.

When you can align your branding and messaging through a story that sticks, you can succeed in ways you hadn’t imagined.

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