PPB January 2019

run the business, Airbnb guides consumers to these short video clips instead of an About Us page. These campaigns tug at consumers’ heartstrings, which influence customers to consciously associate emotion with the brand. This creates a valuable connection between the brand and consumers’ perceptions of the brand and improves its perceived value. Not to mention, it’s humanizing. Writer and semiotic brand analyst Rob Walker and his cohort, writer Joshua Glenn, took consumer stories to a different level with Significant Objects , a literary and anthropological experiment that features products with personal stories. The experiment, which auctions thrift-store items on eBay, was designed to show that by attaching a story to a product, regardless of whether that product is a pack of birthday candles or a plastic banana— which were both sold on the website—the value of the product can increase. How can you incorporate storytelling into your brand or your client’s brand? Here are a few suggestions. 1 Use data. Those pages and pages of data compiled throughout the year can offer more than an annual report. The information communicated by your customers–-from the requests they have, to the feedback they offer, to the most purchased products—can be woven into a captivating, visual story that’s worth telling. 2 Be transparent about your philanthropic involvement. Does your company have a corporate giving program? Do you have an organization that’s near and dear to your heart? If so, share this with your customers. By creating a compilation video of contributions made throughout the year, you can add another tier of humanity to your brand—and, again, tug at those heartstrings. 3 Ask customers to share their experiences. Can you recall a particularly unique story, or two, about your interactions with customers? Has your company provided a rush-order for a client that “saved the day,” or did you go above and beyond to fulfill a special request? If so, it’s likely the customer will remember this effort and may be willing to share that experience with other prospective clients. 4 Don’t settle for good, when you can be great. Undoubtedly, some stories are more impactful than others. Of course, this is not to say that all the stories aren’t “great,” but some may resonant more with your customers. Collect enough information that your company has the option to choose stories that best represent its mission and vision. 5 Reintroduce existing products. You can use storytelling to transform something old into something innovative and interesting. Do you have a fan-favorite product you’ve been marketing for years? Create a video depicting a story about that product. Show how your customer interacts with the product and collect a few testimonials. This will present the product in a new and exciting way that your consumer hasn’t seen before. BRANDING Welcome Back Customer brand loyalty is on the rise. Customer loyalty is a hearty piece of the business pie, especially when it comes to the promotional products industry. A trusted pool of repeat clients may guarantee business, but it’s also a consistent opportunity to provide excellent service and, hopefully, to receive equally excellent word-of-mouth referrals. Luckily, for those offering top-rate service, customer brand loyalty is increasing. According to a national survey conducted by Yotpo, an e-commerce marketing cloud resource, 90.2 percent of consumers consider themselves to be equally, if not more loyal to their favorite brands in 2018 than they were in 2017. And it appears the reasons are pretty straightforward, with 55.3 percent of consumers returning because of the product, and 25.7 percent because of the price. Additional reasons include customer service 70 | JANUARY 2019 | THINK