"We Need Better Stories..."

... explained a Hollywood studio exec when asked why so many technically stunning movies are box office flops.”

The same is true for advertising. Memorable, successful campaigns begin with an insightful story and original content. Yet so many ‘marketers’ are reluctant to expend the time, creative thought and effort needed to tell moving, mythic stories... preferring to spend their money on style, not substance.

Wrong from the start.

Story comes first. Without it you have nothing new to offer... nothing to advertise. Consumers will ignore you. “I have facts,” you say. “My product is the best.” Neither really matters if your story is old, dull, boring, unbelievable or non-existent.

When you tell an authentic, evocative story you’ve captured the essence of intelligent marketing. You entertain, intrigue and remake the relationship between the product and the consumer. Then take advantage of digital technologies, social media platforms, to get your original content into unexpected places, make the idea contagious (an ‘idea virus’ as Seth Godin calls it) and you’re light years ahead of the ‘me-too’ crowd.

Of course, strong images and a good design are vitally important... but you can’t really sell with images alone (there are exceptions); conversely,  a good writer can sell a product with just a few paragraphs on a blank sheet of paper.

If you don’t understand this self-evident fact, you have my sympathies (and fast-talking agencies will have spent your money on a beautifully ineffective piece of creative).

Here’s the reality: the days of dictating to consumers are over. The rise of social media, the decline of traditional media’s ROI and an increasingly cynical public (with less money to spend) have radically altered how and why an idea gains traction.

What doesn’t change? The need to stand out... the need to create a new category and dominate it... the need to start with an honest narrative. If you understand the difference between a captivating story and just another silly, intrusive ad... you're chances of success will grow exponentially.