Brand storytelling is not a new idea. Top brands like Apple utilised the power of story marketing back in 1997 with its Ad, Here’s To The Crazy Ones. Over recent years, we have seen an increasing number of impactful and inspiring brand storytelling examples.
We all have stories. Stories about ourselves, our identity and beliefs. And we understand our place in the world through the stories about the people, companies and brands around us. These stories unable us to understand and connect with their motivations and values. Stories are how we find and understand our tribe.
It’s the same in the world of marketing. We understand who we are as a business by identifying and engaging with our story. We build a connection with our tribe of customers, fans and followers by sharing stories about our business and the people it exists to serve.
In this blog post, we take a look at which brands are winning at marketing with brand storytelling…
Australia’s First Families of Wine
In 2009, the Australian wine landscape was changed forever when 12 of Australia’s oldest family owned, multi-generational wine businesses – including d’Arenberg in Mclaren Vale – came together to form Australia’s First Families of Wine.
A unique collaboration of like-minded families, the intention was to change the narrative about the history, provenance and quality of Australian premium wine, telling the stories behind these families that form the golden thread that connects them.
Since then, Australia’s First Families of Wine have travelled the globe as a collective to share their vinous tales; tales of tribulation and success, experience and commitment. Ultimately it is the passion of over 48 generations of these families and 1380 years of collective winemaking experience that has helped to shape Australia’s wine narrative and provided them with a powerful collection of brand storytelling examples.
Coca-Cola
This Coke Ad doesn’t focus on Coke. In fact, it’s all about pizza. Not just pizza but several people’s pizza preferences. Each person that speaks has a different way they like their pizza. From the style to the toppings to the crust, none of them agree on the best type of pizza. But all of them prefer their pizza with a Coke.
It’s a simple premise to which we can all relate: my pizza is different to your pizza. Each person has a unique story to tell. The individual stories are what we as viewers identify with, so in the end we find ourselves thinking about making their unified story – pizza with Coke – our story too.
Mercedes-Benz
An inspiring brand storytelling example is this one created by Mercedes-Benz. The Ad, instead of directly focusing on selling cars, tells the remarkable story of Bertha Benz who faced all kinds of challenges but stopping at nothing to follow her passion.
MyBudget
A real South Australian success story, MyBudget uses real life stories to engage with potential customers. From the young woman in credit card debt to the couple who believed they were actually quite good with money, there’s a story here we can all relate to.
CommBank
And it’s not just consumer brands that are harnessing the power of storytelling. It’s an approach that’s working for B2B brands too.
CommBank’s Women In Focus initiative “supports women at all stages of business by sharing real stories and practical expertise, and fostering trusted connections with like minded women.”
Bonus – Behind Closed Doors
We thought we should shout out our friends at Behind Closed Doors for their podcast Women On The Move. It’s full of great hints and tips for entrepreneurial women.
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