There are 7 stages to the brand storytelling and ideally we want to create the content in way that the story unfolds following this structure.

• Emotive HOOK
• Establish PAIN
• Set up DESIRE
• Introduce the GUIDE (brand)
• Show TRANSFORMATION journey
• Highlight the RESULT (new normal)
• Call to ACTION

We begin with the emotive hook – it’s critical across all video content types and distribution channels that this emotive hook grabs your audience in the opening few seconds. If they’re a cold audience, and they’re only thinking about what’s in it for them, then you need to hook them in fast – or the engagement window has past and you’ve lost the audience.

We then want to establish or highlight the pain that the audience is feeling, an emotion that they can relate to and that makes this content instantly relevant to them and their life at this moment. By establishing the pain we’ve introduced what’s at stake and we’re preparing the audience to connect with the next stage of the story when we set up the desire.

The desire sets the story in motion and should communicate where the story needs to go. We need to set up the positive outcomes that can be reached when working with the brand or product, and allow the audience to really connect with that, and want the same outcome for themselves in their life.

Next we need to introduce the guide, which as I explained earlier is the brand, the product or the business that this content is being created for. By introducing the brand in a way that sets it up as a supporter, or tool or vehicle to help the hero win – the audience connects themselves emotionally to the brand and feels that perhaps this brand can help them win too.

We then try to show the transformation journey, that is – communicate how the transformation takes place, the ways in which the brand guides the hero, works with them and leads them to success.

And then highlight the result – a story needs a conclusion and in a brand’s story we need to clearly understand the win that is provided to a customer or client when they engage with the brand. In storytelling terms often the hero character ends the story by returning back to their normal life but it’s a new normal – they’re a changed person due to the transformation that the brand or product has enabled for them.

And finally, the soft call to action. Remember, Brand Positioning content should not push a hard pitch… if the content is done well, then the audience has engaged, bought in and is open to accept your invitation to connect further. In certain videos this call to action might be quite explicit such as “Follow us on Facebook to learn more” or more subtly communicated through the closing lines of dialogue that spurs an audience to action with an emotional pull.