Powerful Narrative Makes Content Marketing Shine. In this piece, Jon Mowat (pictured below), managing director, Hurricane Media, explains that, while you should be considering data, you need to tell a good story first. Marketing campaigns that drive emotional engagement deliver 4x the uplift in purchase intent than those that don’t. Consumers reject celebrity endorsements and direct sales messages; they prefer marketing content that is informative and to-the-point, makes them feel nostalgic, and tells a story. Jon Mowat, MD, Hurricane Media The consumer review is especially powerful because it feels real. Burt’s Bees take a similarly human approach, building co-founder Burt Shavitz’s character – and the brand’s values – through a three-minute mockumentary, an irreverent yet touching tribute to keep his legacy alive with the hashtag #Burtliveson. It’s not all about data The Burt’s Bees video works because it feels genuine – it’s focused on the quality of its story and emotional messaging, rather than on the more pragmatic priorities of the marketers who signed off on it. Narrative content needs to tell a good story first and foremost. These dubious claims gain traction because they sound like things we’ve heard before: they tell us a story we already believe. Of course, you should be considering data, but you need to tell a good story first.
Consumers’ media habits are changing. Mobile media time – the time spent using a tablet or smartphone for things other than talking to people – is on the rise, and traditional TV viewing is in decline. However, the shift from one device to another doesn’t mean that people want something different from their content. In this piece, Jon Mowat (pictured below), managing director, Hurricane Media, explains that, while you should be considering data, you need to tell a good story first. By connecting on a deeper level with consumers, campaigns can achieve better results.
Marketing campaigns that drive emotional engagement deliver 4x the uplift in purchase intent than those that don’t. Consumers reject celebrity endorsements and direct sales messages; they prefer marketing content that is informative and to-the-point, makes them feel nostalgic, and tells a story.
Learning and feeling
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Humans are hardwired for stories. We use them to learn about our world, to connect causes and effects, and communicate our values and beliefs. That’s why the first stories we hear as children have morals; and it’s why 88% of us trust consumer reviews – stories told about a product by people who’ve used it.
The consumer review is especially powerful because it feels real. It’s a story told by someone like us – not someone rich and famous who doesn’t have the same limits and needs as us, and who’s just reading words fed to them by marketers. The best narrative-marketing doesn’t feel like narrative-marketing.
Airbnb’s video series captures this philosophy superbly. The host shows an interviewer around their neighbourhood, taking them to their favourite places – ordinary and down-to-earth places – and sharing their hobbies. The interview style is unpolished and natural as it teases out the origin story about how the host joined Airbnb – and this one is especially powerful as a story of recovery and positive impact.
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