The Prophet Way of Utilizing Brand Storytelling to Engage With Audiences

David Aaker, known as “Father of Modern Branding,” discusses the idea of B2B brand storytelling and being able to convey engaging messages on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite hosted by Drew Neisser.

As the Vice Chairman of marketing consultant giant Prophet and renowned author, David has decades of experience in reinventing the way a company shares its brand message. He explains to Drew the importance of balancing hard facts with emotions as well as emphasizes the importance of becoming a brand other companies want to be associated with.

David also shares multiple personal stories that validate the importance of being a stellar brand storyteller. You don’t want to miss his explanation of how both T-Mobile and Barclay turned their companies around through brand storytelling.

David’s expertise will revolutionize your company’s way of conveying messages, so be sure to give this episode your full attention. Click here to listen.

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Why are stories so effective in engaging customers and employees?

Brand storytelling is more than just a hot topic in current B2B marketing environments. It is the key to truly connecting with your employees, partners, and customers. B2B customers feel the need to have a relationship with the business they interact with and employees need to feel that their work is important. Stories garner attention, change perceptions and attitudes, and inspire action – and stories are far more effective than fact-sharing alone. This is why your company and team need to be experts in brand storytelling. To hear the full reasoning behind why this idea is a critical issue for companies across the country, be sure to listen to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

The importance of creating a signature story while balancing fact and emotion

When trying to convey a message, a CMO has two options: share facts or tell stories. Even though some may argue that “if it’s not fact-based how do you convince people’s it’s actually true?”, there is a balance that needs to be reached. The key in the B2B storytelling space is to either magnify the problem, offer a solution or accentuate the outcome. This can artfully be done by combining customer testimony with just enough facts to provide a reliable level of reality. Just listing data and facts is a record-keeping entry – not a compelling marketing campaign. David highlights that a signature story can be 200-300% more effective than data alone. To hear more about why brand storytelling is so impactful give this episode a listen.

Actionable items for creating brand storytelling initiatives

Take it from the best leader in storytelling. David lays out a plan to create a storytelling focus in your company on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. As a CMO you must first believe and buy into the power of storytelling marketing. Then you have to build a skilled team and develop an environment that allows storytelling opportunities to flourish. Drew also adds that you have to throw your content calendars away because all they do is allow you to get away with regularly producing mediocre content. Hiring a support crew that can take raw stories and turn them into engaging content can also drastically improve your storytelling ability. For more hands-on hints on brand storytelling, don’t let this episode go unlistened.

What You’ll Learn

[0:30] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, David Aaker
[2:58] Why is everyone realizing that storytelling is critically important?
[4:27] Why is a story so important in engaging employees?
[8:54] What will it take for B2B firms to recognize that story is a cultural opportunity?
[12:32] David’s personal stories behind effective storytelling
[16:39] Why does the story go away once a company reaches marketing evaluation stages?
[17:58] How does a brand find their signature stories?
[21:06] The balance between hard facts and “fluffy” emotions in storytelling marketing
[24:23] Actionable items behind improving your B2B storytelling marketing efforts
[29:13] David’s steps for creating a brand storytelling plan
[32:42] One of the most common problems when brands attempt storytelling marketing for the first time
[33:25] Drew summarizes his conversation with David Aaker

Connect With David:

David’s Prophet webpage
Connect with David on LinkedIn
Follow David on Twitter
Follow David on Facebook
Email David

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Drew

Meet the Guest

David Aaker is and has been a force in the world of marketing and branding for a significant amount of time. He received his SB in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and then his MA in Statistics and PhD in Business Administration at Stanford University.

He is the E.T. Grether Professor Emeritus of Marketing Strategy at the Haas School of Business, the vice chariman of Prophet, a global brand and marketing consultancy firm, and an advisor to Dentsu, a Japanese ad agency.

He has received multiple awards for his contributions to the science of marketing, has published 17 works on the topic. His career has been marked by branding and marketing triumphs, innovation, and a dedication to understanding the craft.

Quotes from David Aaker

Audience members- and it's so sad- don't care about you. They don't care about your firm. They don't care about your brand. They don't care about your offering. They just don't care.
You really have two choices: You can give people facts, or you can tell stories. And facts simply don't work.
Authenticity comes when the story is so involving and intriguing that you don't think about it in that light. You just get involved.
You need to motivate people to identify and use stories. You have to build kind of a story-driven culture where stories are something you look for.