Hi First name / friend, 

 

These are not my words, they were shared with me but they are so valuable that I wanted to pass them on to you. They are from a study, ‘Significant Objects’ reporting on the work of Rob Walker.

 

“In 2006, New York Times Magazine journalist Rob Walker set out to determine if storytelling was the most powerful tool of all.

 

He started his project by collating two hundred thrift items of low value (the average cost of each item was $1.25). He took care to ensure that there was nothing particularly special about any of them.

 

A plastic banana here. An old wooden mallet there. Even a plastic motel room key. You get the idea. They had no intrinsic value whatsoever.

 

Next, he telephoned two hundred professional authors and invited them to become part of his ‘Significant Object study’ and asked them if they would each write a story about one of the objects.

 

They all said “Yes.”

He then auctioned the items on eBay with the stories added to the descriptions. Can you guess what happened?

 

One of the items was a small plastic bust of a horse’s head. Rob had paid just $0.99 for it. What did it sell for now that it had a great story attached to it? $62.95.

 

Was this a one off? No. In total, he spent $197 dollars on the items and he ended up selling them for almost $8000. That’s a markup of more than 6300%! And all thanks to the stories which had transformed these otherwise trite objects into things of value.”

 

That’s a pretty extraordinary ROI, but why did I share the story.

 

This is one of the simplest and most powerful explanations that I have found of the power of stories and their ability to turn an object into something with meaning that someone places a value on.

 

One of the phrases that I harp on about, a lot, “is build a brand, don’t sell a product”. And when I’m asked what I mean i say that it is all down to the emotional value exchange.

 

As humans, 95% of our purchasing decisions are emotional, despite us thinking we make rational and functional decisions we do not. As brands we need to tap into these emotional drivers, allow people to feel a connection, meaning, a sense of shared alignment with the brand.

 

A brand that I think does storytelling really well is Heights. Heights is smart supplement subscription, designed to help improve cognitive wellbeing and brain function.

The brand is built around stories. 

 

From the podcast ‘Braincare’ that has biassed interviews with some of the worlds leading experts and scientists, through to interviews with well-known figures including Steven Fry and Jay Shetty talking about their mental health challenges and what they do to look after their brains. They have a weekly newsletter, “The Sunday supplement’ that goes out weekly to over to thousands of people and it gives you actionable tips and tricks. Then there are journals and self care guides to download and use- the majority completely free.

 

At no point since coming into contact with the brand have I ever felt that I was being sold a product. I say this as an actual consumer- someone who has a deep personal interest in brain health and someone looking to start having a more serious approach to supplements. The depth of stories means that I’m now invested in the brand, what they stand for and their holistic approach and they are currently top of mind as I come to figure out what supplement is right for me.

 

I would love to know if you have any other brilliant examples of brands that have taken storytelling to the next level?

 

If you've been forwarded this email, but would like to receive your very own weekly dose of inspiration, sign up here.

 

Sprowt is a creative marketing studio that helps purpose-driven challenger brands that believe in the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit - stand out and scale.

We apply the tried and tested strategies of building memorable brands and then rip up the rule book to create disruptive brand and marketing strategies; growing the brands that matter into the household names of tomorrow.