Humanising your brand with B2B storytelling
Many large organisations have implemented truly valuable initiatives to cut their environmental footprint and reduce waste – from Patagonia’s famous ‘anti-growth’ approach, to IKEA’s commitment to implement sustainable practices across its whole supply chain. Nevertheless, the sheer size of corporations may sometimes cause them to be perceived as faceless and out of touch with the general public’s concerns.
Great content marketing has the power to change this, helping to humanise corporate entities by bringing to life the values and ambitions behind the brand. In particular, good storytelling has the potential to help make a brand way more relatable to its consumers and stakeholders.
Stories have been used from ancestral times for the most diverse purposes – from passing down knowledge and traditions, to celebrating victories and milestones. And in our own lives, stories have almost invariably been part of our upbringing since early childhood – regardless of our background.
Telling and listening to stories is, in short, deeply human. This is why a good story has the power to tap into our emotions, awaken our interest, and push us to take action. Similarly, it has also the potential to revolutionise the public perception of B2B corporations – from dry, impersonal entities providing complex products and services, to real people working for a worthwhile cause.
A pathway to clearer communication
Stories can warm our hearts, but did you know that they’re also proven to help deliver science concepts to non-specialists? (1) An engaging narrative can help the general public understand technical concepts without being put off by jargon and a complex sentence structure, helping educate and persuade a variety of audiences.
Researchers also found that stories can induce emotional responses that influence people’s perception of environmental hazards: the more people are involved, the riskier climate hazards become (2). This demonstrates that a correct and ethical use of storytelling can help climate experts get people on board with climate mitigation efforts.
Interestingly, stories with an explicit persuasive appeal have been found to be less persuasive than the story alone (3). So, you’ve been warned: leverage the power of storytelling to enhance your green marketing strategies, but don’t preach.
A starting point for B2B storytelling
Christopher Booker, author of The Seven Basic Plots, developed an interesting theory arguing that all stories follow just seven archetypes:
Overcoming the monster
Rags to riches
The quest
Voyage and return
Comedy
Tragedy
Rebirth
Although Booker’s theory has been criticised for being too limiting, the seven basic plots can offer a great starting point for B2B marketers eager to explore the world of storytelling. In particular, some of them are suitable for innovative, technology-oriented B2B brands.
For example, ‘overcoming the monster’ refers to a story archetype where the hero fights and eventually defeats an evil character or entity – think Dracula, King Kong, or the more contemporary Stranger Things. This provides a great story structure for innovative brands fighting environmental hazards, using their technology and sustainability know-how as their weapons.
‘The quest’, on the other hand, refers to a protagonist’s challenging journey to find a solution to a problem – a classic example being Lord of the Rings. This archetype can provide a helpful framework to describe how you developed your flagship product or solution. You will certainly have encountered some obstacles along the way, but your determination and commitment to your goals allowed you to overcome them – possibly with the help of an ally, such as your incredible R&D team.
Finally, the rags to riches plot can come in handy when describing the booming but unexpected success of a start up. Maybe there were financial challenges at the beginning, or not enough stakeholders believed in your project – but you persevered and worked hard, eventually turning your idea into a success.
The human element of B2B storytelling
There is one crucial thing all these story plots have in common: characters.
At The Marketing Pod, we are great believers in the value of showing the people behind a brand. This is how you can showcase the expertise of your team, but also their personality and unique traits – in other words, you give prospective customers a glimpse of how it will be like to be working with your company.
Storytelling provides a great way of doing just that, because it forces you to create a narrative that goes beyond products and puts people front and centre. That’s why stories can resonate so strongly with your audience.
If your business has a great story to tell, our expert content writers can support you in making it as compelling as possible. Get in touch today and let us know how we can help.