F O O D W I T H A STO RY

MOST PEOPLE LOVE a good yarn. Stories capture us, are surprising, funny, sad, have compelling characters and make us think and empathise with others. They stick with us and help us remember concepts and ideas.

They also can be a powerful marketing tool – NZ merino clothing brand Icebreaker is a perfect example of that. As are crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, where entrepreneurs tell their stories to attract investors.

US-based content marketing researcher Onespot says 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that feel like a story. And research from UK-based content marketing agency Headstream found almost 80% of repondents think it’s a good idea for brands to tell stories. If companies share their brand story with their customers, more than half are more likely to buy the product in the future, the survey found; meanwhile 44% will share the story and 15% will buy the product for the first time.

This idea is even more true for millenials (or Gen Ys, as they are also known). “Gone are the days of faceless organisations with untouchable leadership,” says academic Joel Kaplan, writing on the Mashable website. “This generation craves transparency and dialogue with the products they love.”

Gen Y consumers want to know the stories behind your product, and how those stories are shaping your company’s mission and values, Kaplan says, and they participate in that mission by using your products.

“Make sure you know what you stand for and communicate it clearly. Stay in touch with your audience through social media so it can see how