At this month’s SMCKC breakfast, Ben Putano from WeContent and Editor/Founder of Kansas City Spirit spoke about The Art & Science of Storytelling. His presentation captured the heart of making your customer the hero from a marketing perspective. Let’s recap the key points of the presentation.

The Hero’s Journey

Excellent storytelling combines art and science with a focus on the customer. Much like every Disney movie, the main character meets someone. Then issues occur preventing the main character from succeeding. But somehow the character makes it out of the situation. The main character returns home as a new person with a new outlook. This type of storytelling can be applied to your marketing story.

According to Putano, the customer is always going to be the hero of your marketing story, not the brand. Understanding that key component allows you to draw attention towards the customer. For a practical example,  highlight your customer’s favorite product as a spotlight in stores and on social media. This will push your customer to the forefront. 

Use your brand as a guide. Let your brand voice and beliefs lead your customer through the hero’s journey story. Consider the following questions when you are thinking about your using your brand as a guide: Who are you? What do you believe? What is your superpower? (Again, the Disney reference must stay with us throughout the recap)

In order to tell your marketing story, add some customer recognition. Customers want to see themselves within your marketing story and strategy. Consider having customers share their experience with a disease, such as high blood pressure, and how this impacts their food choices. This gives a face to the issue while spotlighting products.

In the presentation, the Universal Customer Story Map was discussed. It includes the following:

• Hero (Who they are, home and work life, aspirations, and challenges)
• Guide (Who are you, what do you believe, your superpowers)
• Plan
• Journey (Stages and obstacles)
• Success (What does it look like and what’s the new status quo)

Practical Implementation

Implementing storytelling into your marketing campaign will truly benefit your overall marketing goals. Your story can be broken into pieces through the course of the campaign. Transfer your story through any marketing campaign you are planning this summer.