Why you should create stories, not marketing

It’s very common for business owners, marketing directors, etc. to talk to their ad agency and say “we need to do a social media campaign” or “we need to design a new marketing [insert specific collateral item here]“. The reason is always to build their brand, and increase business. I should also mention that this is preceded by a challenge that needs to be overcome, or goal that has been set out. While you may be right that you need an online video advertising campaign (or whatever), it’s not actually the right answer to your challenge. What you really need is to develop your story – as the first part of your brand.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal says that successful branding still happens offline. I agree with this by the way. The premise of their argument is that branding doesn’t happen because of a Facebook campaign or because of advertising a brand well. It happens because there is something worth talking about.  A quote from the article stood out to me.

It is important to fight the urge to start your marketing strategy with a particular tool or approach. Instead, start a story that consumers will want to talk about. What are the messages about your brand and category that make you talkworthy?

Advertising campaigns and social media campaigns are simply formal ways of sharing a story that already exists. If that story is not interesting or something that people are passionate about, that is the end of the story. If it is “talkworthy” then the story continues organically, with no respect of marketing channels.

This is why we call ourselves an Idea based ad firm. Tomorrow there will be a new tool. Actually, today there is a new tool. We start with the idea (which is always the centerpiece of the story). We like to help our clients craft their story, build great ideas from them and determine the best way (or ways) to share it. This is a timeless method.

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