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Writer's pictureJillian Mele

Storytelling: An Underutilized Yet Powerful Marketing Tool

Updated: Sep 23

My favorite part of the Super Bowl, aside from the game, is not the commercials.  It is the storylines that present themselves. When the Eagles won in 2018, it was the first Super Bowl win and it electrified the city like I have never seen before, and I am from Philly. Some people waited a lifetime for that title and to witness the history that they dreamed of for so long. 

 

I was not able to be at the game (I covered the parade!)


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Jillian Mele covering the Eagles 2018 Super Bowl Win Victory Parade in Philadelphia

, but I was at my best friend’s house, surrounded by friends, and when they won, everyone rushed out into the streets banging pots and pans like we used to do when I was a kid when the clock struck midnight on the New Year. I actually don’t even know where that tradition came from, but you get the picture. 




EVERY PERSON HAS A STORY 

 

Every team has a story, and every person has a story.  

 

And threaded throughout the Super Bowl on TV are nothing but stories, in the form of commercials. Some people watch the Super Bowl strictly for the commercials!  The time, money, and manpower it takes to create a 30 second spot is insane.  They are like mini movies.  And what are movies?  Stories.  

 

So why is it that stories work?  It is simple, they make us feel something. They have the ability to provide relatability, they can transport us back in time or ahead in time, they grab our attention.  Unless some piece of data or a fact is utterly shocking, they don’t do the same thing to us as stories.  They don’t reach our emotions as well as stories.  In this article from Stanford University, Jennifer Aaker says that "stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone".  They imprint not just our brain but have the power to imprint our heart. 

 

This is why companies like Coca-Cola and Nike have done so well over the years with their ads: they are all about a story.  It is why what you see on the news is in the form of stories.  And it is especially why, within stories on the news, you often see interviews with people impacted by what is going on: they are telling the story of their experience. You can hear a politician say that the cost of groceries needs to come down, and you can hear from someone who is struggling to pay for their groceries, and the overarching topic is the same but the person describing their experience of struggling to pay for their groceries will probably stay with you longer, because you probably felt their emotion and situation. 

 

STORIES ARE EVERYWHERE


The good news is stories are everywhere.  Every person and every business has a story.  The other good news is that the digital environment that we are in creates immense opportunities for stories to be told and better yet, shared. So, if you aren’t harnessing storytelling yet, I suggest you get on board the train and start crafting yours! 

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