De wereld van storytelling

They are inescapable. Everyone has them and everyone loves them: compelling stories. Stories are a powerful medium for connecting people and evoking emotions. They are therefore excellent tools for conveying information, putting your company or product in the spotlight, strengthening brand experience, or creating engagement with your target audience.

In this article, we delve deeper into the phenomenon of storytelling, we explore why it is so effective and we look at some inspiring examples.

The power of storytelling

Storytelling is not a recent invention. For thousands of years, people have been sharing stories, whether written texts or secrets passed down orally from generation to generation.

At its core, storytelling is about sharing a story. But there is more to it than that. In the world of marketing, and video marketing in particular, it is about telling stories with a purpose. You want customers to feel a personal or emotional connection with your company or brand, inspiring them to the point where they want to purchase your product.

The most crucial element is a well-structured story. By presenting this visually and making use of cinematic techniques that play with pace, rhythm, suspense, sound effects, music and voiceover, you can evoke emotions and create an atmosphere that leads to experience and connection.

Why does storytelling work so well?

Many people are visually oriented and remember information best when it is presented visually. But more importantly, our brains are wired for stories. A well-told story activates different parts of the brain. The reward system in our brains means that when we hear the beginning of a story or watch a video, we crave the ending. We want to see more once the video ends.

The part of our brain that regulates emotions also plays a crucial role. While watching a storytelling video, it is easy to become emotionally engaged. This is down to the emotional centre of our brain, where emotions are processed and where substances are released that give us different feelings after watching: happiness, fear, inspiration, sadness, relief. In short, we can immerse ourselves in the story.

Finally, there is the part of the brain that processes information. The emotions and structure of a story influence how our brains process and store information. All these elements together make storytelling an effective method for drawing people in, taking them on a journey, and prompting them to take action.

Inspiring examples of storytelling in videos

Let us look at some examples of videos in which storytelling is a key element.

National Geographic

National Geographic, a storyteller of science and nature since 1888, has fully embraced storytelling. They share inspiring stories across various channels, including blogs, social media, long reads and videos.

RedBull

RedBull takes video marketing very seriously and has a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers. They regularly produce impressive videos that are clearly inspired by feature films, with a distinctive use of music and sound effects.

AJAX

The marketing team at AJAX in the Netherlands has been highly successful in storytelling through various types of content in recent years. They have everything, from visuals, polls, analyses and interviews, to inspiring videos from the dressing room and viral videos.

Interpolis

Interpolis released a moving video a few years ago about the impact of making calls and sending messages whilst driving. The authenticity and sincerity of the story makes it powerful and relatable, drawing the viewer in effortlessly.

Google, Reunion

In this heartwarming Google advert, an elderly man is reunited with a childhood friend after 60 years, thanks to his granddaughter and Google Search. It is a lovely example of a feel-good story.

Squarespace, Make It

Squarespace transforms a technical task into an epic moment. Actor Keanu Reeves explains how to easily set up a website with Squarespace, all while sitting by a campfire.

Would you like to learn more about storytelling?

Get in touch with us to discover how storytelling can strengthen your company's story.