Advertising professionals are often asked about what they actually do for a living.
For people not quite familiar with marketing, the answer “advertising and communications” sounds too vague and foggy.
So here’s my point: most of humanity deals with the type of work I do, and is deeply Influenced by it much more often that they think.
The obvious fact is that we are surrounded by stories in our lives. Our brain needs storytelling to make sense of the reality and the facts that surround us.
We need stories. And we need to believe in something
Individuals have stories; groups of people have stories; whole nations have stories.
Stories help us find like-minded people, make friends, achieve our goals.
Wars start because of stories
Some stories are bigger than the other, partly because they have lived longer than others. Christianity is a story. Communism – yet another. Fascism – also a story, though an evil one.
Brands are also stories. Values, visions, myths. Coca-Cola, Starbucks, IKEA, all the famous “love-marks” represent not only companies or products, but lifestyles and values that many of us want to associate with.
Consumerism is also a story. Just like Buddhism and the lifestyles of Tibetan monks are also a story.
Facts are only a small part of what we are reading in the news daily and of what is really happening to us. And even facts are very much based on narratives, created by philosophers, thought-leaders of their time, people of art, politicians, etc.
But each of us also creates stories for ourselves
“I am an architect” – is not a profession. It’s a story we tell other people about ourselves, the story that presents our values and social position, as we want it to be perceived in a certain community.
A story normally has a visual code. Countries use flags and cote-of-arms which tell stories from their history, their struggles and beliefs. Likewise communities of people also have visual identities so you can identify with the ones who share your beliefs and avoid those who do not.
So here’s what we do in advertising – we create stories for businesses. What they do, what they stand for, how they came to life and how they influence our world and our lives. Just like a personal story, a business story will help you find like-minded people, be it employers, clients, partners or consumers.
And just like a nation’s cote-of-arms, a company logo tells a story of the business. It happens subconsciously, whether you want it or not: colors, shapes, inclines, fonts – each symbol is reflected in other people’s minds to identify with familiar concepts, such as, for instance, trust, energy, wealth, service, etc.
And people will might follow you – depending on how truthful and authentic your story sounds.
Any business looking to succeed should not underestimate the power of storytelling and visual identification.
