Every brand has a story. But not all of them can weave it in just the right way to draw audiences into following it.
Social media is helping in this regard by providing a forum for brands to communicate something more than just a carefully crafted, on-point message. It sets the stage for true sharing and interacting through storytelling -- the art of personalizing an experience with a relatable, empathetic tale that entertains as much as it informs, and encourages reciprocation as much as it reaches out.
Michael Perman is senior director of consumer insights for Levi Strauss & Co. No stranger to telling a story is the Levi Strauss & Co. brand, a name that has likely been featured in millions of consumer and cultural experiences for the past 150 years. iMedia spoke with the company's senior director of consumer insights, Michael Perman, to learn more about the power of storytelling, and how it functions as a marketing tool that can pair insight with innovation.
iMedia Connection: Michael, you recently spoke at ad:tech San Francisco on the power of storytelling. What does storytelling mean to you, in the context of marketing? How well do you feel that stories work when connecting with consumers, in comparison to direct communication media such as banner ads?
Michael Perman: Stories and marketing have always been interconnected, like butter on toast. They provide authenticity and reality to marketing. The greatest marketing successes of the last century were all grounded in stories. Consumers inherently seek to learn and tell them because they make the life we live everyday more meaningful and interesting. I don't think you can say that about banner ads.
iMedia: Levi's has gained some favorable buzz for a few of its recent forays into storytelling, particularly through the medium of viral video, with efforts like "Super chill monkey does Hollywood" and the guys who do backflips into a pair of jeans. Did you take some hits from corporate in getting sign-off for these virtually unbranded, experimental tactics?
Perman: One of our core values is originality, which means being authentic and innovative. Our senior leaders encourage and live this. We thrive when this level of experimentation is fostered. Those viral videos are a great example of experimenting with original ideas. The team did backflips to get them made, and they were great.
iMedia: How do you really measure the success or failure of this type of viral campaign? Is it enough of a success if it just gets people talking about the brand -- wondering if it is directly responsible, or if it's an unsolicited testimonial by a third-party? Under what circumstances would you consider an innovation-based campaign to be a failure?
Perman: I hope we're more in the business of measuring success than failure. But, just getting people to talk about the brand is not enough. There needs to be a point of view expressed that contributes positively to the overall brand experience. That doesn't mean every element of the campaign needs to be identical. Viral campaigns are great because they usually add entertainment, which keeps the brand ecosystem thriving.
iMedia: Can you give any examples of other brands that have done a good job at using storytelling in their recent marketing efforts? What made them stand out?
Perman: Harley-Davidson is amazing. Storytelling from their community members helps people relate to each other and provide ideas to improve the overall brand experience. Those stories are captured on its community site for all to enjoy.
FedEx has a separate site for its stories, and you can locate a story by picking a spot anywhere in the world. I think those stories about people overcoming obstacles in order to provide service give people confidence in the brand. I'm also watching the new Mutual of Omaha campaign called "Aha moments." It's about points of clarity that drive people to take action and change their lives.
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