Seth Godin talks about the difference between a show and a story in his blog today and mentions that successful marketing is all about telling a story.

Marketing boils down to communicating value.  Successful marketing offers a clear way for your customers to engage in a mutually beneficial relationship with you.  Everything you do in communicating your brand should focus on reinforcing your unique value proposition in an engaging way - and in a way that perpetuates your differentiation.  Showing your customer why your unique offering is right for them is an invitation for them to initiate or renew their relationship with you.

Think about your current relationships.  What qualities do you value in the most stable relationships in your life?  Chances are in addition to shared values, honesty and integrity you also value a bit of humor and whimsy.  While there is a place in our lives for the monotone narrative of books on tape, sometimes a bit of showbiz glitz can surprise, amuse and delight us too.

Tony the Tiger used to entertain the heck out of us as children.  But his antics never distracted from the heart of the story, which was that his special cereal was an important part of our nutritious breakfast.

Storytelling is as old as mankind.  Who knows, the cave paintings in Chauvet might be the longest running advertising campaign in history.  But, as with most things, diversity and innovation are key to avoiding stagnation.

Have a story, but don’t be afraid to occasionally entertain us.

By the way, what was your favorite Super Bowl ad?  Why?

Roger Farnsworth