Stories have power. In a recent social experiment auctioneers
substituted stories for item descriptions and amazing sales increases occurred. A mallet that normally sold on auction for 33 cents went for $71, a tin ark moved from 50 cents to $19-50, a candle holder from $2 to $12.12 At the Phantom of the Opera during the auction scene, on listening to the toy monkey story, my partner raised her hand to make a bid!
Stories embed memories, connect us to others, and connect us with ancient traditions, legends, archetypes, myths and symbols. During ‘story-time’ we connect to our larger selves and to universal truths, and transcend generations, geography, culture.
Metaphors are sensed and felt. In a fascinating blog post, Lindsay
Starke reports that “researchers have evidence confirming ... that a sensory region of the brain lights up when dealing with even the most common textual metaphors.” And one of the researchers notes: “This result illustrates how we draw upon sensory experiences to achieve understanding of metaphorical language... This also demonstrates how complex processes involving symbols, such as appreciating a painting or understanding a metaphor, do not depend just on evolutionary new parts of the brain, but also on adaptions of older parts of the brain.”3
Story-telling and listening and metaphors are deeply embedded in us. They are valuable skills tools that must be in the vanguard of those wanting to be a brand of first choice. It’s a ‘no–brainer’ really. People love to share their stories and respond to metaphors.
To what extent do the brand stories that you tell and receive
mirror and reinforce the values projected by your logo, advertising and other messages and images that project your company ‘persona’?
Think of a person walking in a forest. There is a cacophony of sound – birds, leaves rustling in the wind, a running stream,
frogs...and then you hear a single snapping twig that warns you of impending danger.
How do your stories attract attention in a myriad of stories told every day in a variety of media, and what makes them unique?
“Researchers
have evidence confirming .... that a sensory region of the brain lights up when
dealing with
even the most common textual metaphors.”
References
1. Bolte - Taylor, Jill My Stroke of Insight Viking 2008 2. Packard, Vance Hidden Persuaders Pelican 1971 3.
http://www.egothebook.com/news/2012/02/13/your-brain-can- feel-metaphors 4. Paul, Annie Murphy Your Brain on Fiction The New York Times March 17, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the- neuroscience-of-you-brain-on-fiction.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all 5. Sacks, Oliver Musicophilia: tales of music and the brain Picador NY 2008 6. Zaltman, Gerald and Zaltman, Lindsay Marketing Metaphoria Harvard Business Press 2008
6 Halo and Noose | May 2012
7. Customer Success Stories:
http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/ us/smarterplanet/
midmarket.html#/sect-engines 8. Sinek, Simon Start With Why Penguin 2009 9.
http://www.mikebosworth.com/storyleaders.html 10. Edwards, Nigel Using Stories to Increase Sales at Pfizer SCM Vol 15 Issue 2 Feb/Mar 2011 Melcrum Publishing 11.
http://www.unilever.com/mediacentre/news/ Vaselinecelebratesskinstories.aspx 12.
http://significantobjects.com 13. Jensen, Ad Rolf The Dream Society The Futurist Vol 30 Number 3 May-June 1996
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