Message in a website
Not all marketing stories are so literal. Much can be inferred about the essence of a brand and how it relates to its customers simply through web design. Even the smallest element, such as a phone number field on a form page, tells consumers something about your company. Allowing the user to input numbers however they'd like and taking care of the formatting for them, for example, sends a subtle message: "We'll make this easy for you -- just like we make it easy for you to get what you need from us."
Similarly, omitting useful information like a contact phone number from your site also relays a message. This time, it's a story of indolence and lack of consideration that potential customers can't help but presume extends to your customer service efforts and products.
A tale of targeting and advertorials
From an advertising perspective, one way in which stories can be told is through ad placement and targeting techniques. The automotive industry, with its cut-and-dry purchase cycle, is one place where this approach is commonly used. On an automotive research site, for example, an opportunity exists to walk users through a sales-oriented narrative.
Upon visiting the site's home page, a consumer may first be delivered a general brand awareness message. This banner effectively tells the consumer what to buy: a specific make and model of car.
Digging deeper, users land in the research section, where the auto brand's banners are now regionally targeted, based on zip code or IP address. At this stage, ads typically also offer a region-specific promotion, such as a limited time discount or incentive. This chapter in the story effectively tells the consumer when to buy.
As the site user begins to peruse local inventory, banner placements no longer promote the automotive brand, but rather the individual dealerships that sell its products. This tells the consumer where to buy, and launches the final chapter of the story: making a purchase offline.
Beyond banner ads, placements that offer the ability to tell a brand story in more depth can be another effective way to connect with potential customers. One recent survey -- conducted by Opinion Research Corporation and sponsored by content developer and ad network Adfusion -- found that internet users are more likely to notice and react to article-based ads that relay information about a brand than e-mail, paid search, banner, and pop-up ads, which are so often product- or offer-specific.
Indeed, incorporating your brand into a lifestyle article that showcases its benefits combines the appeal of offline storytelling with the reach and measurability of the web. The fact that more site publishers are now willing to blur the lines between editorial content and advertising makes advertorial-style placements an opportunity for marketers across demographic targets and verticals.
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