How to Build a Brand Story That Buyers Emotionally Connect With
Stories can sell more than a product
Currently, thinking of an original business idea is almost impossible, many people say that this is the century when everything is already created. Anyway, year after year we see different new businesses being successful, which although the idea was not totally original, has something that made them special.
What is the main reason? They don’t sell you a simple product, they sell you a story. People buy feelings, not products. Studies have shown that people make their purchasing decision based on the emotion they feel, then they use the facts to support their decision. Your product is important, but how you sell it is the main reason why people would buy it.
How big brands create connections
When it comes to growing a company, I always like to see what great brands do, There are thousands of ads around the world that show us how different products can change a person’s life, and not only the fact of buying them would supply a need. Let’s analyze how these 3 brands create connections with their buyers:
Coca-Cola and happiness
If we do a survey and ask about a brand that has been an icon of advertising in recent decades, Coca-Cola would undoubtedly appear among the most named, the goal of all their ads has been to impact the viewer in some way, and we can see that the motto of each Coca-Cola advertisement is happiness.
Coca-cola is the king of selling feelings, we can see that in their ads they don’t sell you the drink, they sell you everything that involves doing it. All of their announcement has the objective to connect with an audience and bring a positive message of union and peace.
Melbourne Train: Dumb Ways to Die
A theme as uncreative as promoting safety on trains managed to have one of the most creative advertising campaigns of the century. This announcement was created by McCann Melbourne, and the key to its great success was in its catchy music, it came to be in the top 10 downloads in iTunes and has over 190M of views on youtube. Its cartoon characters and the black humor with which they deal with the issue of security.
Its success resulted in plush characters of the protagonists of the spot as well as games for phones and even an educational book. To the surprise of many, it became the most awarded campaign in Cannes with 28 lions, including five “Grands Prix”.
Apple: Make someone's Holiday
Apple created that film with the hope to prove not all tech is for mindless consumption; it can be used as a tool for creativity and an expression of love. This 3-minute ad shows how a family is going to spend Christmas but a family member is needed, and despite being missed, they are looking for ways to make an unforgettable moment with photographs.
The spot marks a thematic departure from Apple’s recent holiday ads. In 2018, they created an animated story of a girl who learned to share her gift of writing, while 2017’s featured a cinematic ballet dance through the streets with Air Pods. The objective of these ads is to create a direct emotion with the buyers, that their gifts are not only a technological object but something that can change their lives.
Nike: Just do it
Nike has become one of the world’s highest-profile athletic brands, but they were not always like that, their big jump was in 1982 when they hired the advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy. They are responsible for the slogan “Just Do It” and television commercials have been a source of inspiration for many people.
Their ads had the objective to impact people and be an inspiration, everyone can achieve their goals if they want it and work for that, so just do it. Their plans to inspire a positive feeling in the customer and finding a way to resonate with their values and desires has made it a successful brand, and not necessarily just by selling you a product.
How can I make a customer feel?
First, think about what you are trying to sell and ask yourself these questions:
-How do I want my customer to feel after they have used my product? -What does my customer care about? -What is the change they are hoping for? -How will my product help my customer become more of who they want to be?
For example, if you have a company that sells cameras. Instead of selling “the best quality camera ever”, try to sell: “How to capture the best moments of your life forever”. The client does not care how many pixels a camera has, they want to know if they can have a photo that allows them to remember a moment lived in the best possible way.
And I know that you may think that having “good pixels” and “capturing the picture in the best way possible” would be the same thing in the end, but the way in which information impacts the lives of customers is what will make the difference in the purchase.
Remember that everyone is trying to be better versions of themselves. If your product is going to change a person’s life, you have to show how impactful it would be on their lives, and how this product is going to improve what they have now.