As a mother of three kids, I’m no stranger to story time. Stories are magical and inspiring. They allow us, if only for a moment, to travel to different times and places without ever leaving the safety of our own home.
You may think you’re too old for fairy tales and stories, but think again. You are never too old to apply the lessons learned from stories to your business strategy. Let’s take a look at some lessons learned from storytelling to children that can easily be used by your brand.
1. There has to be a quest.
What good is a story without a quest? Be it a magical treasure in need of finding, a fair princess in need of saving, or an evil dragon in need of slaying, a quest is a must when telling a story to children. Why should your audience be any different?
A quest introduces a problem and in that way creates a purpose. It lays the foundation that initially intrigues your audience.
2. There has to be a hero.
What good is a problem without a way to solve it? A hero is needed to solve any major problem in story land, and while there may not be a literal “knight in shining armor” in your business’s story, there is always an opportunity to showcase your company’s strengths.
How can your brand be a hero or better yet, how can consumers use your brand to showcase their own strengths and become heroes in their own right?
3. It has to be easy to understand
One of the reasons why most fairy tales are well known classics that survive the test of time is simple. Children’s stories are easy to understand regardless of your age or background. But how can you obtain this simplicity when talking about your brand?
Using emotions allows you to invoke deep feelings with audiences of all ages and walks of life. Imagery is also an important aspect that should never be neglected when telling your brand’s story.
4. There’s always a little bit of magic.
You certainly aren’t selling magic beans, but that doesn’t mean that your product can’t become a magical aspect of your story. What sets your brand apart from the pack? What makes your services special, different, dare we say magical?
Let your audience see what they can accomplish with your brand that they can’t accomplish with anyone else. Sprinkle your brand with fairy dust.
5. There is ALWAYS a happy ending.
Obviously, life is not a fairy tale. Sometimes things go wrong and happy endings can seem like, well, a fairy tale. Happy real life endings are all about making the best out of less than ideal situations. How has your brand prevailed in the face of adversity? How can it help others do the same?
No matter how bad things get, there is always a silver lining. How can your brand be the prevalent good guy that pulls through no matter the challenge?
What business lessons have you learned from children’s stories? Please share in the comments below.
kaitfowlie What an awesome quote. I totally agree. We can learn more than we sometimes like to admit from children :) Thanks for reading.
Love this concept. Baudelaire said, “genius is no more than childhood recaptured at will” !