A few weeks ago I gave my first official presentation on story and why it’s so powerful to us as human beings, as a community and as a way to connect brands to consumers. Stories are how we remember, how we experience emotion and how we connect with others.
I presented at a July 12 half-day program,“The Power of Story,” which I organized for the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Marketing Association. In addition to sharing with marketing professionals why story matters, my talk focused on how more and more companies are using film to communicate with consumers in a deeper, more meaningful way.
One of the main themes was that films engage, inspire and compel us to action. That’s because they affect us emotionally as we identify with characters whose dreams, challenges, and journeys toward goals are very much like our own.
Their story is our story.
Barbara Ponce, Manager of Corporate and Diversity Advertising at Honda shared her experience in conceiving and pitching the “Dream the Impossible” documentary film series to reach audiences in a way that no 30-second spot could.
The eight films which she spearheaded using renowned and Oscar-nominated directors have resulted in a 1000-fold increase in Honda web traffic, generated thousands of comments and taken consumer engagement to a whole new level.
Like Honda many brands and organizations are switching their approach from interruptive marketing—interrupting consumers with advertising messaging—to engagement marketing—offering engaging and relevant content.
Film is the new text. It allow brands to bring to life their core sensibilities.
I’ll be speaking about the Power of Story next at Pecha Kucha on September 21 at 7 p.m. at the Five Points Theatre.
