Marketers often create their stories from the same basic template: a person (or organization or industry) facing a challenge, a product or service offering a solution, and a problem solved.
While that formula can give the reader or viewer the information they need at the time, it rarely gets people to see, read, listen to, or share.
That challenging solution framework may be the first (and last) choice for many marketers, but it's not the only one. Stories about people — employees, partners, and other stakeholders — connected to your brand can add a human element that your audience remembers.
Get inspired by examples of compelling storytelling companies business story keep people coming back for more.
Stories by and about people connected to your brand add a human element to your #ContentMarketing that your audience will remember, say @AnnGynn via @CMIContent @ContentCal_io. Click to Tweet
F1 racing attracts new audience
In any race, the story clearly includes who wins and who loses. But that wasn't enough to attract viewers beyond the event itself. Formula 1 has realized this and started taking viewers behind the scenes with the drivers, teams and governing bodies in the Drive To Survive documentary series. Its Netflix .
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtJPe1ksS6E[/embed]
As Sports Illustrated explained : “Drive to Survive provides a behind-the-scenes look at the circuit that uses the world as a playground, highlighting action, and providing context for storylines that emerge both on and off the road. There are uncomfortable moments (like Romain Grosjean's fiery car wreck that almost cost the Swiss-born racer's life) and complicated decisions on display (like Pierre Gasly being fired by Red Bull). and back to win at Monza with AlphaTauri). ”
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, told The New York Times : “I think it has to be the most important impact on Formula 1 in North America.
The viewership has proven the correctness of that assessment. ESPN tells Sports Illustrated that the average viewership for 2021 so far is 931,000 – 53% higher than the 2020 seasonal average. As ESPN's John Suchenski told SI: "Having more F1 content reach a wider audience will help create awareness and interest, and hopefully encourage them to get involved in the races."
Lesson learned: Engaging viewers (or readers) behind the scenes can be a great way to engage your audience and increase their interest in your brand.
# ContentMarketing that takes viewers behind the scenes (like @F1 #DriveToSurvive) can be a great way to increase interest in your brand through @AnnGynn @CMIContent @ContentCal_io. Click to post
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TD Bank connects colleagues with the same mission
TD Bank dedicates its entire catalog to the above employee stories TD Story recently created content hub and intelligently link that employee's stories to its mission.
For example, in November, the site featured profiles of employees with military ties as part of National Veterans and Military Families Month.
As the story's introduction explains, the bank aims to "build on our commitment by creating a community where all active duty, reserve, ex-literary members are. and services can share their experiences, develop careers, and raise awareness of veterans issues among our colleagues, customers, and communities. ”
One of the highlighted stories Donna Christian who has spent decades as a military wife and connected with veterans and joined TD Bank earlier in the year as a customer experience coordinator.
Another story with content Kim Davis , director of the senior contact center in charge of credit services. Kim bravely shares how she learned she was adopted, found her biological mother and discovered she was conceived when her mother was sexually assaulted. In her story, Kim talks about how TD Bank's new Nonprofit Board Education program helped her learn what to expect when she took a board position at a nonprofit to help survivors of child sexual abuse and abuse and their families.
Take it: Don't limit your storytelling focus to company executives. Work with people in customer-facing roles so readers or viewers will see the people they do business with. Find and tell employee stories that connect with your brand mission.
Ernest Packaging moves to E-TEAM
Ernest Packaging turned their employees into E-TEAM a lineup of characters like Cornflake, Porterhouse, and Lotus Dragon, who battle it out with challenges packed in action episodes:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Q1IAXY7Ug[/embed]
Sophisticated, mid-high production value videos stand out in a solid industry business, and employees' willingness to step outside of their traditional comfort zones are surprises. (and interesting).
But Ernest Packaging doesn't stop there. The characters also come to life in “side-by-side” interviews with their real-life partners to uncover details of what they do and how they help their clients.
In this video, Company President Tim Wilson and his replacement Cornflake explain the company's role in supply chain management:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90nyx30IPEU[/embed]
In another video, VP of customer relations Brian Porter and his replacement Porterhouse talk package design and production :
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ogScuX4z0[/embed]
Lesson learned: Have fun and be creative. This parody of the A-Team TV show is fun to watch, even if you don't mind packing. While the E-TEAM episodes functioned like advertisements for Ernest Packaging, the side-by-side interviews show how the company will benefit viewers in more detail. And using company executives as E-TEAM characters is interesting because – you wouldn't expect the president of the company to play an action-adventure role.
You wouldn't expect an executive to play a confusing role in #ContentMarketing, but that's what makes the A-Team parodies from @ErnestPackaging so interesting, @AnnGynn said via @CMIContent @ContentCal_io. Click to Tweet
Johnsonville reveals who can make the sausage
You know the idiom about not wanting to see how hot dogs are made? Johnsonville, the #1 sausage maker in America, seems to know it, too. Company stories avoid showing actual sausage making. Instead, they bring viewers inside the company in compelling ways.
In one video, Johnsonville tells how it became the #1 hot dog brand not by sales figures but by the stories of the people and events that made it happen. The story begins with the couple opening a mom and pop butcher shop in the unincorporated town of Johnsonville (which had changed its name from Schnappsville years earlier). The story follows the twists and turns of the winding road they follow, culminating in 75 order anniversary occasion. But the most interesting part, the video description promises in between, "where a series of decisions, made differently, could have changed sausage history forever."
The video has been viewed nearly 2 million times on the Johnsonville YouTube channel, which has only 4,460 subscribers:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIDuE4usjew[/embed]
It's a testament to Johnsonville's talent for creating compelling content.
Lesson learned: Origin stories about your business, product, or employee path provide a great fodder for memorable content. Share twists and turns and challenges that are unexpected and mundane. Your audience will likely remember the story as they search for a supplier or purchase a product. I know the next time I see Johnsonville kids in the supermarket, I will immediately think of the company name as “Schnappsville” and think of the young couple who started it all.
Hard work pays off
Take the audience backstage (and get the staff out backstage). Doing so creates content that goes beyond the usual business storytelling mold. And that could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
Cover photo by Joseph Kalinowski / Content Marketing Institute
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