author Aparna Thakur, Senior VP, HiveMinds
The digital world offers numerous touchpoints where consumers and brands can interact. It is an ever-evolving world where technological advancements are constantly shaping consumer behavior in new ways. Attention spans are shorter, choices are increasing, and engagement and interactivity are key for brands. But the importance of building a strong emotional connection with consumers through a story that defines your brand remains the same.
Long story short…isn’t that right?
Digital platforms allow, and sometimes even force, brands to adapt their stories to multiple formats and ad lengths while still maintaining the core of their idea. Long-form content, which allows for immersive, relaxed storytelling, coexists alongside bumpers, reels and shorts, capturing the viewer's attention and telling a brand's story in just a few seconds.
Preganews has consistently used short films of 2-4 minutes to show that women can balance motherhood with work. #shecancarryboth demonstrates the power of storytelling. At the other end of the spectrum, youth-centric brand Fastrack Watches established its #BeBoth proposition with a 30s-themed video featuring celebrities. The company complemented it with multiple 15-second videos, bumpers, shorts and reels that furthered the theme.
Deploying multiple creative formats for storytelling helps brands achieve various communication and marketing objectives such as maximizing reach, increasing foot traffic to stores, driving brand search, focusing on specific geographies, etc. Tanishq's holiday campaign was driven by multi-format storytelling on YouTube.
Interventions such as ad sequencing, retargeting video viewers with non-skippable or bumper ads, and frequency optimization with targeted frequency plans aim to control the storytelling experience in the digital world. The length of your brand message will vary depending on the idea, the audience, the marketing context, and the platform under consideration. The key is to ensure that your brand voice is consistent regardless of where consumers encounter your brand communication.
Keeping the story “real”
According to a report titled “The State of Influencer Marketing in India” by EY and Big Bang Social, 75% of brands consider influencer marketing as part of their marketing strategy. While top-tier celebrity ambassadors drive a brand's image and drive purchasing decisions, micro- and nano-influencers drive engagement and bring “familiarity” by incorporating regional languages and small-town nuances. Influencer marketing broadens the scope of storytelling for brands as it leverages the unique narrative voices and audience affinities of different individuals to create topical communications that are relevant in the short term. Lifestyle, fashion, and beauty are the key verticals where influencers are driving consumer engagement for brands.
User-generated content and interactive ad formats are another way to involve your audience in creating a more authentic and genuine brand story that resonates with them.
Using technology for storytelling
Brands are using new technologies such as generative AI, augmented reality and mixed reality to create novel storytelling formats. Britannia's '1947% More History' campaign used these technologies to bring to life the stories of five nonagenarian freedom fighters through the medium of Britannia packs.
A recent ad for Cadbury Celebrations used AI-powered personalization at scale to create unique, memorable experiences for consumers — stories they'll cherish forever. Caratlane's Postcards campaign also introduced a unique form of storytelling, embedding personalized messages into jewelry that play when the jewelry is scanned.
Another recent example is Britannia Nutri-Choice Biscuits' mixed reality newspaper ad featuring Ranveer Singh, which transforms a newspaper ad into a video experience on your mobile phone by simply scanning the ad with your smartphone camera.
These examples show that the use of emerging technologies is only limited by marketers' imagination and creativity. Advances in AI have further improved the art of storytelling. Understanding the scope and potential of AI, along with a deep understanding of human behavior, will be key skills for digital marketers.
Get them to believe the story
Continuously evaluating your brand narrative is not only important, but crucial. It is key to assessing its effectiveness and resonating with your audience. Implementing A/B testing, BLS surveys and brand tracks is the roadmap to developing the right communication strategy. Continuously measuring metrics like CTR, VTR, engagement rate, conversion rate and brand health indicators is not just a task. It is a process that refines your brand storytelling approach and instills confidence in its effectiveness.
Digital media allows audiences to discover and curate content to suit their preferences, and the same applies to your brand messaging. Consumers who relate to your brand's story and identify with its positioning can express this affinity by “following” the brand on social media or opting in to share your brand's updates through channels like WhatsApp. Ultimately, your brand's storytelling should help you differentiate your brand and create a unique personality that appeals to your core audience.
“Write the story the way it should be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as well as you can. I don't know if there are any other rules. They're not the most important rules.” – Neil Gaiman
