Storytelling: examples to stand out from the crowd

The amount of information available today has grown by 4,400% since 1986. Consequently, the present-day society operates against a backdrop of information saturation, with messages that arrive on our mobiles, radio, television, social media, messaging apps and so on. So, how can you stand out from the crowd? The fact is that you need to learn to tell good stories and craft storytelling examples that deliver and etch your message in the mind of the consumer.

In fact, according to a study by Neuromedia, all of us are exposed to 6,000 advertising hits a day, i.e. we see an ad every 10 seconds. But, how many of these do we process and remember? According to the study, just 18 are etched in our memories. 

The thing is, it's not just about conducting effective marketing campaigns. Knowing how to connect with your audience can prove tricky in any area of life. Just think, how often have you had to repeat yourself to your friends because they were checking Whatsapp or Instagram while you were speaking? Hence, storytelling is a must, both at and outside of the workplace.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is a communication technique that consists of telling stories to convey a message or an idea, with the specific aim of connecting with the listener. It's all about making a speech that grabs their attention, creating bonds, lasting longer in the public's memory and improving engagement and customer loyalty. According to research by Stanford University, people remember a good story 22 times better than messages that use facts and figures. 

This is because the consumer's mind, saturated with information, has become immune to external influence, just like when your brain gets used to the air freshener you use at home and no longer registers the smell, no matter how strong it is for visitors. Therefore, to pique the consumer’s interest, you need to find that “spark" to capture their attention. This is much likelier if you harness the sentimental features typical of stories.

Storytelling examples in practice

As a result, storytelling has spread to all facets of life, turning into a fundamental communications strategy. For example, you must have noticed how marketing and advertising has evolved in recent decades. While ads used to focus on presenting the product and its benefits, now companies create stories that connect with the audience. 

One clear example of such storytelling are the much-awaited Christmas advertising campaigns, where an emotional connection is key and the stories pull at the audience's heartstrings. In 2022, Cabury's was crowned king of the Christmas ads with its Secret Santa focusing on the power of giving. 

However, storytelling examples reach far beyond the field of marketing. Public speaking has also had to adapt to the needs of society. Long gone are those long-winded speeches packed with data and objective arguments delivered in the style of a lecture. Great communicators know that they must tell stories that keep the audience interested. For example, have you seen any TED talks lately? Similarly, in the case of leadership, storytelling will help you to both present the strategic objectives or company philosophy in a way that’s easier for the team to understand, and to more efficiently give feedback or motivate employees. As Miguel Udaondo points out in his book Communicate: The keys to communication for leadership: “You can have the most amazing ideas, but if you don't know how to communicate them in an appealing, persuasive and coherent way, then they won't achieve the desired effect.”

We can even find examples of storytelling being used to approach communications on more cumbersome topics. That's what Academia Play does through its YouTube channel, where it explains History using an entertaining and appealing approach based on this narrative strategy. Or, as the author Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic describes in his book Storytelling with Data, in which he uses storytelling examples to present economic reports. 

In the corporate world, stories also take centre stage in presenting a brand in a way the user can identify with. For example, at We are knitters adds a twist to the typical explanation of the company's values by involving the consumer. Or what about this product data sheet from the Real Fábrica Española that harnesses the evocative power of violet candies? 

On the other hand, if you don't want to present a company brand but rather raise awareness of your own personal brand as a professional, then mastering the art of storytelling also has its advantages. Just ask Estíbaliz Fernández Sánchez, a young woman who turned her CV into a playlist and achieved broad impact, expanding her chances of finding a job.

How to create a great story

Though the final result will depend on your imagination and creativity, all of these storytelling examples have several common features that serve as the foundation upon which a great story is built. What elements should your speech contain to make it memorable?

• Argument. Begin by analysing what you want to say, which ideas you want to convey. Try to put yourself in the recipient’s shoes when you work on this point, and identify a connection. What would attract the recipient's attention to your topic? 
• Characters. Who are the stars of your storytelling? Define the characters in your story, finding a way to make the audience identify or connect with them. 
• Conflict. Time to develop the story itself. At this stage, and as a starting point, it is vital to establish a conflict that draws in the audience, before concluding with a response or solution to it. 
• Context. You will also need to minimise the time and space in which the story will take place. Keep in mind that the more precise the details of your message, the greater the bond you will create with the recipient.

How to effectively present a story

With these factors in mind, there are a number of other recommendations that will help you to craft successful storytelling examples. To assist with this, in his book The 7 Rules of Storytelling John Sadowsky outlines 7 key tips for this communications strategy:  

• Commit to your inner journey. For a story to work, it is vital that you are honest with yourself. It's not about inventing narratives, but about giving a new slant to your life experiences. 
• Aim for authenticity. Try to ensure that all of the elements in your story match, in other words, that the idea, the values, the characters and the context are linked. 
• Be yourself. Apply this consistency to yourself. This means that you speak naturally, and don't put across a fake version of yourself. 
• Connect. Another fundamental aspect of storytelling is to engage the recipient in the narrative. To do this, use emotional appeals to the message that stir a sense of belonging. 
• Express your ideas in a unique way. The goal of this communicative technique is to stand out in a saturated market. But how? Back up your message with examples, metaphors, images or humorous anecdotes and select the most appropriate tone and words for the audience you are addressing. 
• Personalise your stories. Avoid generic ideas or hackneyed messages. Be specific about your message. 
• Simplify the story. Lastly, storytelling needs to be brief. Keep the message short and simple so you don't lose the listener's attention. 

By following these tips and expanding your knowledge of storytelling through specialised books on the subject, you can learn to communicate more effectively. As Benjamin Traitman Grossman, author of 47 Inspiring Stories: Storytelling says, "speeches are forgotten, but the stories within them do get remembered." It comes as no surprise then that this skill has become one of the most in-demand soft skills at businesses. 

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