Think Storytelling Elements – How To Make Your Brand A Sensational Experience

To provide a good customer experience, you need to be able to tell your brand’s story. To detail, this article explains why storytelling elements are critical to telling your brand’s story. Also, explore the 8 elements of storytelling, the 5 parts of a story’s plot, and some tips on how to tell your brand’s story. 

“Entrepreneurs who make a difference are, in effect, professional storytellers,”

Richard Branson

Why Are Storytelling Elements Important To A Business’ Brand?

Storytelling elements are important to any business’ brand because they help to create an emotional connection with customers and give a company a unique identity. Indeed, storytelling elements can be used to create a narrative that is memorable and engaging, which can help to differentiate a business from its competitors. Also, with storytelling elements, a business can create a memorable, distinctive brand that stands out in the marketplace. Lastly, storytelling is not just for your customers. It is also for investors, partners, and employees.

So by telling a good story about your business and getting the storytelling elements correct, you are setting yourself for success. Humans are both logical and emotional. In particular, people will spend more money and time with a brand who successfully conveys their story and gives them an experience. To detail, below are reasons why it is so important to effectively get your story out about your brand.

• Superior method to convey a specific message and objectives of your business
• Create, engage, and impact emotions
• Easy to remember
• Superior way to educate and inform
• Makes your brand stand out
• Build trust
• Drive people to take action

“The most important thing in business is to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and then communicate it effectively.”

Richard Branson

For more on the importance of storytelling, see Indeed’s Storytelling: Elements of a Good Story and How To Develop Your Process and Piktochart’s The Power Of Storytelling.

“Today, if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur you also have to be a storyteller,”

Richard Branson

8 Storytelling Elements For Creating Your Brand’s Story.

There are at least eight essential storytelling elements that a business should consider when crafting their brand’s story. In fact, storytelling is a craft that goes back before ancient Greece. So even back in the 4th century BC, Aristotle broke the art of storytelling into several elements that have not changed too much from today. Additionally although not in any particular order of importance, these storytelling elements are all critical to effective storytelling.  Also by incorporating these elements into a brand’s story, a business can create an engaging and compelling narrative. To list, below is a description of each storytelling element.

1. Setting. The Backdrop of The Brand’s Story.

First, the setting is the backdrop of the story and provides a context in which the narrative can be told. Specifically, it can be physical, such as a cityscape, or emotional, such as a feeling of nostalgia. Also, for a brand story, the setting should be used to create an emotional connection with the audience and to make the story feel real and relatable.

2. Characters That Enable The Brand To Create An Emotional Connection.

Characters are the people or entities that make up the story. They can be real people, such as the brand’s founder or employees, or they can be symbolic characters, such as an animal or a color. Characters should be used to create an emotional connection with the audience and to make the story feel more believable. People should be able to identify with the character.  Besides the protagonist, the main character, there are also other characters in the story. These include:

• A protagonist: the main character or hero, who the audience cares most about
• An antagonist: the villain
• A confidant: the sidekick or best friend
• A foil: the opposite of the protagonist, who exists to bring the protagonist’s qualities out
• Other secondary or tertiary characters that drive the story forward, or fill in details of the story

“We would be nothing without our story,”

Richard Branson

3. The Plot The Brand’s Story That Reveals The Brand’s Values, Mission, and Vision.  

5 Elements Of Plot: How To Make Your Brand’s Story Come Alive

The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. In particular, it should be used to build tension and suspense, as well as to create a narrative arc (discussed later). Also, it should also be used to reveal the brand’s values, mission, and vision.  First, the plot sets the stage of the story, then secondly builds up the story to a climax, and lastly ends with an ending, usually a happy ending. Later in the next section of this article, the 5 elements of a plot are discussed in detail.

4. Conflict and Tension That Creates Interest About The Brand.

The conflict is what drives the story. In particular it’s what creates tension and builds suspense, which are the elements that make a story interesting. Usually there is a build up of tension with a series of obstacles for the protagonist to overcome leading to a climax. Finally, the conflict results in a resolution that concludes the conflict. Also, conflict can be emotional or physical, internal or external… as long as it provides tension that makes the story interesting. 

Additionally, this tension can either be passive or active. With passive tension, it keeps the audience in suspense of a potential conflict. Versus active tension is where the conflict has already happened, but the audience does not know what will happen as a result. In literature there are 7 major types of conflict:

• Man vs. man
• Nature vs. man
• Man vs. society
• Technology vs. man
• Man vs. supernatural
• Fate vs. man
• Man vs. self

“Create a sense of urgency, not complacency, … Creativity, efficiency, and productivity will follow.”

Richard Branson

5. Theme That Is The Brand’s Underlying Message Of The Story.

The theme is the underlying message of the story. Specifically, it should be used to show the brand’s values and beliefs, and to create an emotional connection with the audience. 

6. The Point of View That The Story Is Told.

The point of view can be first-person (told from the perspective of a character in the story) or third-person (told from an omniscient perspective). Also, it’s important to choose a point of view that matches the tone of the story and resonates with the audience.

7. Tone and Craft Of The Story That Creates An Immersive Experience For The Audience.

Tone and craft are essential elements of a good story. Specifically, the tone should be consistent throughout the story and should match the values of your brand. Also, the storyteller’s craft uses language and imagery that brings the story together. In particular, the author’s craft resonates with the audience and creates an immersive experience.

8. Audience & Media: Shaping The Story To Both The Target Audience And  The Communication Media Used.

Finally, knowing your audience and the media you’ll use to tell your story is essential. Indeed, it’s important to create a story that your target audience will identify with. Additionally, some stories may work in some media , but not others.  Always, no matter what communications media you use, the story must take advantage of what that media has to offer. For example, if you’re telling your story through video, you’ll want to create visuals that are engaging and compelling.

For more references on storytelling elements see the following: Adfero’s  The Eight Elements Of Effective Storytelling, Pond5’s Storytelling 101: The 6 Elements of Every Complete Narrative, SkillShare’s Be Memorable: 7 Elements of Storytelling to Master, Brilliantio’s The Essential Elements Of Storytelling, and ProWritingAid’s Storytelling.

5 Plot Elements Within Your Brand’s Narrative.

Within the narrative of a brand’s story, there are five plot elements that should be included.  This five-act structure was originally created by Gustav Freytag in the 19th century. It was called Freytag’s Pyramid. Specifically, these elements are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Unquestionably each of these elements should be included in order to create a cohesive, engaging story that customers can connect to. For a full explanation, see Unvarnished Facts’ 5 Elements Of Plot: How To Make Your Brand’s Story Come Alive..

“The best stories are the ones that make people feel something.”

Richard Branson

How To Use Storytelling Elements To Tell Your Brand’s Story.

Storytelling elements can be used to create a unique, engaging narrative for a business’ brand. To do this, a business should incorporate the eight storytelling elements and the five plot elements discussed above. Indeed by incorporating storytelling elements into a brand’s story, a business can create a memorable, distinctive narrative. Obviously, this will assure that your brand is set apart from their competitors. To detail, below are some tips to build your brand’s story.  For a full explanation and tips for building your brand’s story, see Unvarnished Facts’ Brand Storytelling: This Is How To Tell Your Hero’s Journey.

“If you can tell a story that resonates with people, they will remember it and pass it on.”

Richard Branson

For more on how to create a story, see NeilPatel’s How to Create an Authentic Brand Story that Actually Improves Trust

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For more information from Unvarnished Facts, see articles on creativity and innovation