The Chronicles of StorySelling

Summary

In the world of business and marketing, stories have power. They have the power to capture attention, to resonate, to move people to action, to shape perceptions and to drive loyalty. Business leaders and marketers are increasingly recognizing the val-ue of Storyselling as a powerful strategic tool. As Peter Guber, a noted film producer and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, said, “Stories have a unique power to move people’s hearts, minds, feet and wallets in the storyteller’s intended direction.” 

Consider the case of Apple Inc. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 1990s, he faced a company on the brink of bankruptcy. To resurrect the brand, he used Storyselling to reframe the company’s image, recasting Apple as a rebellious upstart challenging an industry titan, Microsoft. He told con-sumers, “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers!” This narrative of thinking differently resonat-ed with consumers and helped turn Apple into one of the most valuable companies in the world. 

Indeed, research backs the power of Storyselling. According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing in 2020, nar-ratives are proven to be more persuasive than facts alone. The study demonstrated that when participants were presented with a story, they were more likely to be persuaded by the content, even when the facts were identical to those presented without a story.