According to Seth Godin, the ultimate entrepreneur for the Information Age.
Stories help us understand the world around us. They are mental shortcuts we use because we are overwhelmed by the details about products (services, friends, job-seekers, etc.)
Marketers rely on this storytelling. If stories are authentic, consumers buy the product and soon it becomes a profitable business.
Examples of storytelling
Example 1: Georg Riedel says that every beverage tastes best in a glass of perfect (and different) shape. He is 10th generation glassblower selling expensive glasses (for wine, scotch & espresso). When wine luminaries across the world attest to Riedel’s story, everyone else is bound to believe it, even when the glass does not really do anything to the taste. But, taste is subjective. So people drinking wine in Riedel glass actually feel that wine tastes better.
Example 2: Real estate agent, Arthur Riolo, does not talk about the specs of the house he intends to sell. Anyone can do that. Instead, he tells his prospects stories about the neighborhood. Prospects start thinking about the people they’ll start living next to. Instead of making a decision solely based on the specs, they make a decision based on Arthur’s stories. Arthur does a profitable business as a real estate agent.
Example 3: Puma works hard to tell stories around hipness, belonging and fashion. Most people buying Puma are not really thinking about support, sole material or durability. They are thinking “how cool will I look!” or “how happy will I feel when my colleague complements me!” In reality, Puma sneakers may get manufactured for $3 in China, but customers happily pay $125 for those shoes.
Stories create a want in the minds of consumers. To create a profitable business, you need to satisfy wants (irrational, subjective), not needs (practical, objective).
So do not tell someone about the features of your product. Instead, tell them a story.
No comments:
Post a Comment