"Once upon a time..." is the beginning of every well-known story. However, a good story does not tell itself. It needs heroines and heroes who lead through the action, captivate and inspire the audience. Why is storytelling important in PR when there is a good product that impresses with its performance itself? There are many good products and services on the market - the story and especially the people behind the company are what matter.
Well-conceived narratives enable us to explicitly position our customers, their corporate goals, and their services, and to anchor them with the reader. We tell stories that focus on conveying values and messages - this is the contrast to mere one-sentence marketing. Storytelling is important because it works.
*Mathias Klüver, Account Director at monoceros, on storytelling:
"Good storytelling simplifies facts, products or processes in need of explanation, personalized and arouses emotions. But therein lies the real art: reduction of complexity to a few main motives or arguments.
A good story is easy to remember and gives recipients something to take away, move them and increase their level of information. It is important to think like journalists in the writing process. Good narratives are essential in PR to engage, inspire and persuade specific target groups!"
Strategic storytelling builds on competitive and clear positioning. This applies to companies as well as innovation drivers and opinion leaders. We work out the key points together with the companies in a workshop. We sharpen the profile and develop the optimal storyline. On this basis, explicit and catchy stories can be defined. This involves answering questions such as: What problem is being solved for the reader? Why do readers need this particular offer and what distinguishes it from others on the market?
Facts and figures are clear factors to advertise advantages – numbers don't lie. However, simply quoting percentages, figures and pie charts do not inspire sympathy among the audience. Even in a technical article or interview, in addition to presenting facts, it's about who is behind these numbers. This is where storytelling comes in.
It is not a matter of pointing out the reader's mere needs or promoting products and services, but of highlighting the advantages. Writing about emotions is essential here. As soon as the audience feels addressed, feelings are aroused and the story gets attention, the message can be conveyed. Identification is the keyword here. It also requires good knowledge and empathy for the audience to be reached. Instinctively and situationally, we create the story and present our clients as the heroes they are.
monoceros is a strategic communications agency based in Berlin. We develop customized, target-oriented PR campaigns for digital disrupters, startups and tech giants. The basis for our outstanding results: Over ten years of PR experience on the corporate and agency side and the motivation to establish an agency with the highest standards. On our monoceros blog we regularly highlight essential topics of our PR work and report on the latest developments from the digital economy.
