The Psychology of Engagement: How Emotional Storytelling Drives Consumer Action

According to a study by Stanford professor Chip Heath, 63% of those tested were able to remember stories, while only 5% could remember a single statistic. Emotional storytelling is key to capturing attention and driving consumer action in marketing. In this article, we explore why storytelling works as well as top tips on how to create impactful stories and what to avoid.

Why stories work

Stories have the power to influence emotion, empathy and memory. 

Empathy

Empathy is being able to understand someone else’s feelings. When people hear stories about a particular experience, their brains activate as though they are experiencing those emotions themselves. This happens via processes such as the ones below: 

• Theory of mind: When we hear stories, our brains simulate these experiences and trigger emotional responses as though we are living the story ourselves. 
• Mirror neurons: These neurons in our brains help us to mimic the actions and emotions of other people. When we read about a character, these neurons are activated in similar ways, helping us to feel the same emotion as what the character feels
• Emotional engagement: Stories create different moments and outcomes throughout a journey, such as conflict, happiness, loss, etc. When we are invested in a character because they are relatable and the journey they are going through, we are more likely to empathise with their situation.

Memory

The narrative arc of a story includes a beginning, middle, and end. This structure helps our brains to organise and retain the information. As stories can create strong feelings, they are more likely to be remembered and therefore play an important role in boosting memory organisation. In addition, stories can help make details easier to recall, because they link ideas to characters, settings and events. In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to remember facts within a story than those in standalone data. This idea is widely used in marketing to ensure messages are memorable.

Top tips for creating impactful stories

1. Create relatable characters that have strengths and flaws in order to create empathy
2. Introduce memorable moments in the story
3. Ensure there is genuine emotion through actions and dialogues
4. Make sure you pacing is balanced through slow and fast moments that lead to a climax
5. Use sensory details to reflect the characters’ journeys
6. Include surprises such as twists to engage readers
7. Make use of emotional impact by showing how characters go through transformations and character development

Mistakes to avoid

You want your storytelling to feel authentic and memorable. Avoid the below common pitfalls to ensure your story is impactful:

1. Generic narratives that are cliché and predictable
2. Flat characters that lack depth. Ensure they are relatable and have flaws
3. Inauthentic messages  – Ensure messages are portrayed naturally
4. Weak conflict that have dull stories 
5. Forced drama where emotions and feelings are over-explained
6. Too many themes that lack focus
7. Ignoring critique and feedback
8. Unrealistic dialogue

Great examples of story telling

The Christmas John Lewis adverts are much awaited because of their powerful storytelling techniques. In 2013, John Lewis released an advert of a tale of a bear missing Christmas for hibernation, until his hair friend gifts him an alarm clock. The story captured themes of friendship with a memorable soundtrack (Somewhere Only We Know, by Lily Allen), as well as tying the story back to the festive period itself. Explore more Christmas adverts from John Lewis.

In 2011, Coco-Cola released their iconic ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. This was a story of personalised coke bottles with names, encouraging people to ‘share’ a coke with friends and loved ones. It made the product feel unique to each customer, making it an interactive storytelling campaign as customers could share pictures of their personalised bottles on social media.

Conclusion

Emotional storytelling can help brands to connect with their consumers on a deeper and more personal level. This can help to build loyalty and create lasting impressions. Emotions help make content unforgettable.