A story to tell

AS children, we relished listening to bedtime stories told by our parents. As we grow into adulthood, this supposedly childish longing does not disappear with age. The draw towards stories is just as strong, but is outwardly masked by maturity and politeness.

Daniel Comar ... ‘Too much information should not be given to the audience.’

However, it is only human nature to be drawn to stories, and story-telling is increasingly becoming an important tool in the world of advertising and marketing.

In positioning a brand, advertisers are beginning to realise that people react more to stories than the products. This was the main theme that resonated during the Effie Effectiveness Bootcamp 2011 last week. Star Publications (M) Bhd was the knowledge partner, while Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) was the sponsor.

Since its introduction in 1968, Effie has become recognised by agencies and advertisers as the pre-eminent award in the communications industry.

The Effie Awards is the only global award that honours achievement in meeting and exceeding marketing communications objectives, with a focus on effective campaigns.

Argonauten G2 and G2 Germany executive of planning director Judd Labarthe says for story-telling to be effective, it has to be appealing to people's right side of the brain.

“The right side of the brain is related to artistry, empathy, inventiveness and big picture thinking. This is the conceptual age. Human beings naturally want to work through stories. Stories are how we remember things,” said Labarthe.

That is why Labarthe says that story-telling and managing brands make a natural fit. People do not buy products. They buy stories.

“Too many marketeers still believe that they can argue their customers into buying a product. This thinking is only on an intellectual basis. People are not inspired by reason alone. It is emotions that inspire,” he said.

He added that for story-telling to be more effective, marketeers should first pose the “wrong” questions. For instance, who may hate my brand? Who is my brand not for?

OgilvyAction Asia Pacific executive creative director Daniel Comar says marketeers must ask themselves what is their main storyline.

“Establish a clear and bold challenge. Raise the stakes. Prioritise, simplify and make sure the results link back to the main challenge. Then write the script,” he says.

He also reminds participants of some deadly sins to avoid in story-telling.

“The idea cannot be boring and lacking in drama. The plot cannot be confusing, and too much information should not be given to the audience,” says Comar.

AirAsia X Bhd chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani says ultimately, no great marketing campaign will ever compensate for an average product.

“The most important thing is your product. It has to stand out and be different. No matter how exciting your story is, it will not sell if your product is not exciting or unique.”

In AirAsia X's case, how was its product unique?

The destinations are the same, the pilots were the same and so were the planes. The difference was the ability to fly at a much lower rate. The breakthrough came through a key customer insight.

“All airlines were flying at a low utilisation rates. Airlines were flying only 12 out of 24 hours a day. They were serving the premium customers. So the airlines had to fly their premium customers at their convenience,”

“However, most people fly not because of convenience, but because of price! People make decisions differently ... When everyone is moving one way, that is a sign there is an opportunity to stand out and do something else,” says Azran.

He adds that normal airlines wait for people to come to them.

“Don't ever wait for customers to come to you. Forget market share. Find that space,” he says.
Azran adds that the difference is not in the idea, but in the execution. “A great ad cannot sell a mediocre product, especially if the execution is bad. You must win people over and over again. If you make mistake, react quickly. Don't waste time finger pointing.”

Star executive director and chief operating officer Ho Kay Tat says print remains a very effective media to reach out to the audience. The newspaper remains a very effective mode of communicating with our customers.

“Nonetheless we must learn to play with all the new instruments,” Ho said during his speech.
He added that the industry was revolutionising fast, mainly due to the technology.

“A journalist today has to be a multi-tasker. The journalist has to sometimes write and file his story from his Blackberry or laptop. It's not easy but we have to do it. Due to the changes in technology, there are tremendous challenges for the media industry. Here in The Star, we have been adapting and adopting,” says Ho.

The Malaysian Effie Award 2011 season has begun and the call for entries are underway, with the closing deadline in July 8.