Here at All Good Tales, we know just how important good storytelling is to successful brand building.
Brands use stories to not only to connect with their audience but to actively promote something. Audiences remember stories more than facts, so it’s important to get it right.
When telling a story, the structure needs to be carefully considered. If you’re struggling with this, we are here to help. Here are three story structures that guarantee success.
Rags to riches
The rags to riches structure is very popular and highly effective.
Stories that show a shift from rags, sadness, nervousness to riches, happiness and confidence are inspiring, such as The Ugly Duckling or Cinderella. Often focusing on one character who eventually realizes their full potential, this structure aims to play on the heartstrings of the audience.
As we’ve said before, emotional branding works. A famous example of the use of this structure are the recent Vodafone ads with the Irish rugby team. Although they are not specifically “rags to riches” they show a journey, from young boys practising in their back gardens to grown men running out onto the pitch at the Aviva Stadium.
PAR – Problem, Action, Result
This is a concise and effective storytelling structure.
Firstly, start by presenting the problem. Next, work your way through the action taken to solve the problem. Finally, explain what the result was and summarize what was learned in the process.
Febreze uses this structure effectively in their brand storytelling. The problem? We have gotten so used to foul smells at home that we have become “nose blind”. The fix? Spraying Febreze to eliminate the odour. Result? A light, fresh scent in your home.
Through their simple storytelling, they have generated a public need for their product and have created a billion-dollar brand.
Quest
In this storytelling structure, a character must set out on a quest with a clear end goal.
Stories that tend to resonate with consumers are those that match the values, beliefs and visions that a brand has aligned themselves to. So, the quest of the character often reflects the quest of the company.
For example, Chipotle Mexican Grill, a healthy fast food chain, tells the story of a miserable factory employee, working for a company that uses horrific concentrated animal feeding operations. He sets out on a quest to “cultivate a better world” by producing delicious, organic food from ingredients grown in his garden which smells, looks and tastes delicious without any of the cruelty.
Here at All Good Tales, we want to make brand storytelling enjoyable, effective and easy. Choose one of these structures and you can’t go wrong.
