3 Examples of Great Storytelling In Business
By Crystaline Randazzo
Story #1
Great storytelling creates loyal customers. And one of the brands that I’ve remained loyal to through the years is a small, sustainable shoe company in Peru. Here’s just one of a series of stories they did about their mission. In storytelling, we’d call this a foundation or origin story. It’s the story behind why you do what you do.
Nisolo
I loved learning about how the idea for Nisolo was born. Patrick Woodyard met a remarkably talented shoemaker named William in Trujillo, Peru and envisioned the impact that a revitalized shoe industry could have in Peru is powerful. I hope you enjoy this story too!
Storyteller Tip #1: As much as this story worked for me as a customer. I have some ideas about how it could be told differently as a storyteller. I’m catching whiffs of colonialism in this version of the story. Anyone else see the problematic story of white people showing up and solving the problems that local people have?
Sometimes we see stories told a certain way over and over again and we assume that’s the way we need to tell a story, too. But some stories are problematic and I think we can do better. Telling that old white savior story might make people question the authenticity behind the dignified work that Nisolo is doing. I’d love to see a new version of this film that makes William and the artisans the hero of their own story and makes Patrick, Zoe, and Nisolo guides and helpers in the process. They almost get there in this story but slightly miss the mark. But it seems like they are cool people who want to make a difference in the world but the way this story is told makes the brand and the co-founders the heroes of the story. The science of storytelling says that it only takes a few subtle changes to a story to change the way we think about it.
Story #2
John Lewis: Buster the Boxer
I just cannot get enough of these holiday ads by John Lewis. They’ll make you laugh then they make you cry. In the best kind of way. If you don’t know who they are, they are a department store in the U.K. and they get my vote for some of the best storytelling ads ever. This piece features John Lewis' 2016 Christmas advert featuring Buster the Boxer and his best Christmas ever. If you have some extra time click the button below, prepare to be delighted by the the ways that John Lewis has been using storytelling in their advertising for years.
Storyteller Tip #2: Normally when I start talking about “characters” in your business stories, most business owners think of themselves, their employees, or the clients. Too often we tell really boring stories about our work. I am x. I do y. The more fun and emotional you can make your story, the more people are going to like and connect with it. And if they like you, they will buy from you. I don’t know about you but Buster totally does the job for me. I’m ready to hit the department store!
Try to think about everyone who benefits from your product or service. You might be surprised by the unexpected characters that come out of this exploration and how you can share their experience through story.
Story #3
Thai Life Insurance
This story is selling insurance but I bet you didn’t know that. Their mission is to make the world more beautiful. Isn’t it incredible how a good story steps over limitations like speaking the same language? A good story sells our humanity and that’s something that people from every part of the world can understand.
Storyteller Tip #4: Many of us think that connecting to our ideal client is really hard. But the truth is that only thing you need in order to resonate with your target audience is a main character they can relate to and feel empathy with, and share enough visual details that they can envision your world in their mind. That’s not rocket science! But it does requires us to be deeply authentic (because our audience always knows when we’re it’s not). You sharing your own vulnerability, dreams, failures, and desires is what’s going to pull at the heartstrings, get the oxytocin flowing, and allow your audience to feel connected to you.